Algonquin Traffic Safety Effort Yields 36 Citations

During an enforcement period completed as part of the Traffic Safety Campaign, Algonquin police issued 36 citations on Saturday, July 30, said Sgt. Jeff Sutrick.

From 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. police officers issued 21 citations for not wearing a seat belt, nine child-safety seat violations and six other violations that had to do with improper equipment or vehicle registration. The seat belt checkpoint was located at Main Street and Huntington Drive.

“A normal seat belt citation is $60 and a child-safety seat violation is $120,” said Sgt. Jeff Sutrick in an email to Patch. “The child-safety seat violation is also a must-appear in court, which means the offender would also be subject to court costs.”

The enforcement campaign is part of the Illinois Department of Transportation's Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP). The Algonquin Police Department received a grant from IDOT to conduct the seat belt checkpoints.

The next campaign will run from Aug. 19 through Sept. 5 at various times and locations. The Algonquin Police Department will be conducting 72 hours of seat belt enforcement and 66 hours of DUI patrols, Sutrick said.