Husband-and-wife cops among IDOT honorees
Four Hoffman Estates police officers, including a husband-and-wife team, have been recognized for their diligence in getting drunken drivers and other unsafe motorists off the roads.
Officers Kasia and James Cawley were among those honored with IDOT's Division of Traffic Safety DUI-Arrest Recognition awards at Monday's village board meeting.
"It's amazing how safe they make this community through traffic-safety enforcement," said Dan Kent, supervisor of law enforcement liaisons for IDOT.
The Cawleys have each amassed 100 DUI arrests since 2001, when the awards were first handed out.
Not including Chicago, Hoffman Estates ranked 12th in Illinois for total DUI arrests last year with 329, according to the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists. Rockford was tops with 715, followed by Naperville with 683.
Kent also presented Mayor William McLeod with a separate recognition for Hoffman Estates' commitment to safety. The village is the first to receive such recognition, Kent said.
Officers Mark Mueller and Mark Wondolkowski were also recognized.
"People don't realize on the weekends one in every four people are drunk," Mueller said. "We're talking about people that fall out of their car when they're pulled over. Those are the people that are going to kill someone."
Mueller was honored for reaching the 300-DUI arrest mark since 2001, while Wondolkowski was honored for writing 1,000 speeding tickets over the same period.
Mueller had received the award before after making 103 DUI arrests in 2005 alone. He said working the midnight shift leads to more arrests.
"Honestly, it's part of my job. It's not like I say, 'I need to get another 100 DUIs so I can get another award,'" Mueller said.
Assistant Police Chief Steven Casstevens said he's pleased with his officers dedication to traffic safety. He doesn't buy into the criticism that his department is looking to write tickets to fill quotas.
Police also typically have an increased presence on the roadways during holiday periods, such as Independence Day, which is next week.
"We've been sending the right message for years," Casstevens said.
In other news related to traffic law enforcement in Hoffman Estates, Casstevens also said red-light traffic cameras won't be installed by summer's end, as first projected.
The village board in February approved the installation of cameras at five intersections, but Casstevens said the need for IDOT approvals have delayed plans. He's now shooting for installation by the end of the year.
The proposed corners for the cameras are at Higgins and Barrington roads, Golf and Barrington roads, Golf Road and Route 59, Higgins and Roselle roads and Golf and Bartlett roads.