Schaumburg can't be other suburbs' 911
My wife and I have lived in the Village of Schaumburg for 20 of the last 37 years.
Recently the taxpayers of Schaumburg were advised a tax increase was needed to fund the services that we previously took for granted.
The Village of Schaumburg is blessed with many police officers and firefighters. Unfortunately our community is surrounded by myopic governmental officials whose poor planning and decisions to value buildings over protection have the potential for putting a strain on the public safety resources paid for by the residents of Schaumburg.
I am suggesting the villages establish a fair cost for mutual aid so that when one of them needs to call for help the costs associated with sending our police officers or firefighters to bail them out will be paid for by the agency receiving the aid.
If you recall, last year Hanover Park needed to borrow police from Hoffman Estates. Apparently that situation has improved, as they are building a $20 million police station. Hoffman Estates just let four police officers go: They are building a $26 million police station and at the same time taking over a $51 million mortgage on the Sears Centre.
Last year Hoffman Estates announced that they hoped to have a whiskey-tasting contest at this year's International Tattoo in the Sears Centre parking lot. When you combine whiskey and less police you are creating a recipe for the need for mutual aid.
When this occurs I want our village reimbursed when they have to help incarcerate these drunken tattooists.
Harper College now has an armed police force and when they get in trouble we have to recognize that this entity's concern for public safety was influenced by their decision to spend $150 million on buildings.
Now Roselle has let two police officers go. Roselle needs to expect that when they call Schaumburg for help, help will be sent and the bill will come later.
Just as the United States can no longer afford to police the entire world, Schaumburg and its taxpayers can no longer pay for the shortsighted decisions of its neighboring communities.
Michael Victor
Schaumburg