Home Page American Government Reference Desk Shopping Special Collections About Us Contribute



Escort, Inc.






GM Icons
By accessing/using The Crittenden Automotive Library/CarsAndRacingStuff.com, you signify your agreement with the Terms of Use on our Legal Information page. Our Privacy Policy is also available there.

Off-duty use of MCSD squad car?


McHenry County, Illinois Emergency Services Vehicles

Off-duty use of MCSD squad car?

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
May 24, 2012


To what extent should a deputy be permitted to use his take-home squad car for personal driving? Many deputies get the "perk" of a take-home car. The justification put forward is that the County is better protected by more squad cars on the roads. Is this true?

When a deputy is not on duty, how can he (or she) use his squad car?

He can drive it home and back to work. Can he drive it on errands? Can he head off to Jewel-Osco or Dominic's? To the shoe repair shop? (Where do you find one of those, these days?)

How about a trip down to the local liquor store? Or can he purchase liquor at Jewel-Osco and take it home in his squad car?

Let's get stickier. Can a deputy drive his take-home squad car with any passengers? Can he take his kids to school? To tae kwon do? Drop his wife or girlfriend off at work?

Can a deputy drive his take-home squad car to a part-time job?

OK, how about stickier? Let's say a deputy is a volunteer firefighter or maybe a paid, part-time firefighter. Can he take off to a fire in his take-home squad car?

Now, what if he is on duty as a deputy and there is a fire call? Can the deputy leave his full-time job as a deputy sheriff and head off to fight a fire? Say, a fire that is out of his assigned district during the hours of his duty shift? Should he get paid for being a deputy, while he is getting paid for fighting a fire?

Can he run lights-and-siren to the fire (he is responding as a firefighter, not as a deputy)?

Does anyone at MCSD say, "WTH? You can't do that!"




The Crittenden Automotive Library