Take-home cars - dead-end road?

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
2 January 2013

Indianapolis is waking up to the value of take-home cars for police officers. Or is it waking up to the expense and lack of real value.

Read this article in U.S.A. Today.

I was reminded today of one McHenry County Sheriff's Department employee who has a take-home car. She is not even a deputy; she's a paper-pusher working in the office.

Not only does she get a take-home car, she doesn't even live in McHenry County, as required by the County Vehicle Policy. Special permission can be sought and approved, but why?

And not only does she get a take-home car on top of her $90,000/year pay for her desk-jockey job, but she also gets $950/year "Clothing Allowance". Generally speaking, a clothing allowance is for deputies, who might have to chase fleeing suspects through muddy cornfields or down snowy embankments or through barbed-wire fences.

Why does a civilian employee get a 950/year clothing allowance? Could she snag her hosiery on her desk? Deputies get only $500/year clothing allowance. Why does a civilian employee get any clothing allowance???

Who approved the take-home car and eligibility for clothing allowance? Let's see; that would probably be Undersheriff Andy Zinke. Or maybe Sheriff Keith Nygren, if he is ever in town.