Dist. 1 candidates differ on DuPage traffic court safety

Roselle attorney Sam Tornatore is in DuPage County's busiest traffic court several times a month, and like the judges who preside there, sees some glaring security problems.

The county earlier this year pledged about $40,000 to beef up security in the Downers Grove building that doubles as an American Legion Post. One simple fix? Putting a lock on a back door.

"Literally, people could walk right in, walk right past the clerk counting money and go into the courtroom," said Tornatore, who is seeking re-election to a District 1 seat on the county board in November.

The county's four traffic courts fell under scrutiny last year after Chief Judge Kathryn Creswell called for increased security.

Even with the improvements in Downers Grove, Tornatore says the court ultimately "has to go."

But relocating its daily operations has been anything but simple. Police departments have pushed back against moving the remote court on Saratoga Avenue, a convenient spot for officers working in the southeastern part of the county.

Last month, the county scrapped an idea to use a classroom building at Naperville's Safety Town, citing security concerns.

The four candidates running for two District 1 seats on the county board also have different views on the issue. Here's a look at where they stand:

2-year seat

Tornatore, the Republican incumbent first elected to the board in 2012, is running against Richard Accomando, an Addison Democrat.

Accomando, a 41-year-old Medicare consultant, suggested the county has the "means and the resources" to make security upgrades such as adding a metal detector to the Downers Grove court if a move isn't feasible.

"There's always room we could work with and improve what we have," said Accomando, who has never held elected office.

But Tornatore, 66, suggested there's little wriggle room in the budget for Sheriff John Zaruba's office, which provides court security, mostly through full-time, sworn deputies.

One sheriff's deputy now staffs the Downers Grove court for morning and afternoon roll calls, Tornatore said.

"I don't know that we could ever solidify the security over there, short of having somebody there wanding people down as they come in, but that would require an additional deputy," he said. "The sheriff doesn't have it in his budget."

Tornatore said a search in that "general vicinity" has failed to produce an alternative site, partly because of parking constraints.

A traffic court could open in underused rooms in the main courthouse in Wheaton, but Tornatore says DuPage should restructure how cases are divvied up to avoid parking problems at the county complex.

Such a restructuring should also be done with an eye toward having police travel "the least distance possible in order to get back to their work on the street as opposed to sitting in court," Tornatore said.

4-year seat

Donald Puchalski, the Republican incumbent, is squaring off against Roland "Rolly" Waller, a Bensenville Democrat.

While other traffic courts in Addison and Glendale Heights are located near police departments, the Downers Grove site is "off by itself" and has too many entrances, said Puchalski, an attorney from Addison.

"We need to have a courthouse that is safe and secured," Puchalski, 62, said.

When asked about an alternative, Puchalski floated the Downers Grove municipal campus, but conceded parking could be an issue.

Waller, an 82-year-old who holds no elected office, is making his second bid at a seat on the board. He unsuccessfully ran two years ago.

In a recent interview with the Daily Herald editorial board, Waller offered no opinion on court security and has made noise from O'Hare International Airport a top concern in his campaign.

"I don't have that much experience with the use of the courts," said Waller, adding that he thinks the county should allocate more funding to the sheriff's overall budget.

District 1 includes all or parts of Addison, Bensenville, Elmhurst, Itasca, Lombard, Roselle, Villa Park and Wood Dale.