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Stephenson County sheriff reports staffing gains, facility upgrades and flags lack of impound ordinance as Katrina’s Law starts
Summary
The sheriff told the board four recruits have entered field training, courthouse elevators and HVAC projects near completion, and said the county lacks a vehicle impound ordinance as 'Katrina's Law' — affecting orders of protection and firearms — goes into effect Monday.
The Stephenson County sheriff updated the board on staffing and courthouse facility projects and warned the county has no current vehicle impound ordinance as a new state law affecting orders of protection goes into effect.
"Katrina's law starts on Monday," the sheriff said, describing the statute as changing how orders of protection and associated search warrants for firearms may be processed. He said the sheriff’s office and the circuit clerk met to design a local process but that the county is still determining how the new law will affect the office’s budget and operations.
On staffing, the sheriff said four recruits have graduated the Police Training Institute and are in week two of a 16-week field training officer (FTO) program. He reported interviews are scheduled to fill one law-enforcement and one corrections vacancy, saying the agency has fewer open positions than many other counties.
On facility projects, the sheriff reported the public front elevator is operational and the rear elevator has been scheduled with the vendor Kone. The courthouse HVAC project was described as "99% completed," with a vendor building a dashboard to allow remote control of temperature settings.
Board members pressed the sheriff about why some traffic stops resulted only in warnings rather than citations or vehicle impound. In response, the sheriff said, "We do not have an impound ordinance at this time," and explained that in many cases the only option is to tow the vehicle and the owner pays towing fees. He said his office has prepared a packet proposing an impound policy and will present a formal proposal and a presentation to the board in the coming month.
The sheriff also noted that about "75 to 80%" of orders of protection served are from Freeport, with the remainder served elsewhere in the county, and said he would keep the board informed if the new law affects costs or operations.
