SUN CITY – John Perkins and Ken Caudle, Huntley’s police and fire chief, respectively, stopped by Drendel Hall on March 6 to provide updates on law enforcement and fire protection activities. About 200 Sun City residents attended the event, sponsored by community’s Current Events Club.
Below are some main points from each speaker:
John Perkins:
1. Break-ins – The “outstanding” response of Sun City residents has played the biggest role in reducing the number of home burglaries in the community from seven in 2011 and nine in 2012 to five last year and none so far in 2014, Perkins said.
“Keep up the communications with us; it’s paying off,” he said.
2. Concealed carry – About 120 applications for concealed carry permits have been filed with the state police by Huntley residents, Perkins said. He also provided this piece of advice: If you are carrying a handgun legally and you have a contact with a police officer, tell him you are carrying.
“You can keep a loaded gun in your glove box in a car, but if you put the gun in your trunk, you must unload it,” he added.
3. Huntley crime rates – Overall crime is down seven percent in the village in the last five years. And serious crime incidents have declined by 12 percent in the same period.
4. Motorized bikes and wheelchairs used by Deerpath rehab patients and Heritage Woods residents – “According to state law, they are defined as pedestrians, not motorists, so they may use streets and sidewalks in the village, and they may cross Route 47 if they wish,” Perkins said. “We have talked to the patients at these two locations about safety. Riders should put flags or lights on their vehicles, and should avoid going out in bad weather.”
Ken Caudle:
1. Centegra Hospital, Huntley – “Contractors have begun excavating the planned site on Haligus and Reed Roads, and the hospital is expected to open in early 2016,” he said. Centegra hopes to get a cardiac and stroke emergency certification by 2018, and then we can start transporting those patients to their location. Patients with injuries or non-cardiac illnesses will be taken to Centegra-Huntley as soon as it opens.”
2. Hydrants – “Shoveling out a show-covered hydrant is technically a village responsibility, but there aren’t enough personnel to do all of them as promptly as some people would like,” Caudle said. My advice, shovel them out if one is located on your parkway. It just makes sense. It will help you and your neighbors.”
3. Emergency communications – Emergency calls to the Huntley Fire Protection District reached an all-time high of 4,160 in 2013, he said.
“That’s an average of 18-25 per day. Most calls are for ambulances. Only one-third of calls are for fires. We also do a lot of inspections and specialized rescues,” Caudle said.
