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Want a squad car for YOUR driveway?

Want a squad car for YOUR driveway?

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
October 29, 2012

Recently a reader inquired whether I still had a photo of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department marked squad car parked (stored) at the home of Brian Goode, president of RITA Corp. in Crystal Lake. Goode, as you must know by this time, is a long-time member of the Sheriff's Department Merit Commission and high-dollar contributor to the political campaigns of Sheriff Nygren.

Sure enough. On December 20, 2010, there sat a fully-marked, operational squad car in Goode's driveway. This was just 20 days after Sheriff Nygren was re-elected as Sheriff (by only 53% of the vote), having beat out Mike Mahon and me in the 2010 General Election.

Did all Merit Commission members get squad cars for their driveways?

Just how does a resident in McHenry County qualify? Does it just take a phone call? Is there a waiting list? Do you make your request to Nygren or Zinke?

What do you suppose was the law-enforcement purpose of parking a County asset in the driveway of a taxpayer's home?

Let it be known that I don't fault Mr. Goode for having the squad car there. Anyone can ask for anything. However, the official of the Sheriff's Department who approved the assignment of that squad car deserves some scrutiny.