Silver Lake Trustee Barbara Ironside said Wednsday she will be looking into why the village saw a decrease of about $20,000 in revenue from penalties and fines in 2011 from 2010.
Ironside reported on the decrease in revenue at Wednesday’s Village Board meeting.
In 2010, the village took in $79,213 in penalties and fines. In 2011, it collected $58,769.
Village President Jeff Albrecht pointed out that the village had budgeted to receive $101,000 in penalties and fines.
“From what I understand police action is up substantially,” Albrecht said. “That’s more than an anomaly. There’s something going on there.”
By police action, Albrecht meant citations, he clarified after the meeting.
Ironside said she would research court records and report back to the board.
Interesting how the board budgeted an increase of almost 30% more in fines. Sounds more like a goal than an estimate from previous budgets.
the reason may be that people AVOID silver lake when ever possible for just this reason. the police are to the point of harrassment with some of their conduct. i ,for one take F to hwy 50 or go through wilmot just to avoid the police. we are just waiting for our 8th to graduate so we never have to go to or through silver lake. oh, by the way we are law abiding productive members of society…
i wonder what the affect on business is???
Maybe the people that travel through Silver Lake don’t speed since it is such a speed trap!!!!! We have learned…..
What she will find is that people avoid Silver Lake and their speed trap of a main road.
Spending time looking for a reason why revenue is down is a waste of time. Everyone who is from around a 50 mile radius know to stay away from Silver Lake due to their Police. What village do you know of with a mere population of approximately 2500 people have 3 squad cares, ATV, police boats, etc. That in and of itself is ridiculous. It does not have businesses like Paddock Lake and they only have one officer. Twin Lakes isn’t as brutal is Silver Lake and they have thriving businesses. They have learned to to harrass their own citizens.
The people of Silver Lake need ot wake up and smell the coffee. They can have a much more thriving business and more opportunities if they vote the police out!!!!
i know from experience that silver lake police are corrupt i was cited for littering a cigarette, and i didnt! very good scam fine was almost 300.00 but redused to 50.00
judge said crime didnt fit the fine. i lost this case because i tried it myself “should have obtained a lawyer” but the court knows its to costly for us and 100% of the people will just simply pay the redused fine
hey an extra 50 dollars to add to “ironsides revenue”
also stay away from the lake
there isnt enough room for me to write about that issue
where do you vote for such a thing no one ever knows when or where. this is why they are getting away with this harassment
Lets talke about the Lake. Why does Silver Lake have jurisdiction over thelake. Half the lake is in Salem Township, like the Silver Lake Beach is. Salem should get half the revenue of the lake.
I do not live in Silver Lake but I do own a home there. I live outside of thier jurisdiction. I have lived in the same area for more than 40 years and I can remember the “downtown” area where christmas lights would be. Children not afraid to be pulled over. Residents not afraid to leave their garage door open, as the police feel like it is their duty to walk in your garage because the door is open. Stay OFF unless I call you.
A petition needs to be started to get rid of the Police.
Where are all your facts that the police are harassing? I haven’t seen one shred of fact here in this post. Please tell me so I can file an open records request to view your fact for my self that they are harassing. I’ll even request for that one mile an hour speeding ticket that everyone said that they got from the police department.
i think the facts speak for themselves…
revenue from citations down, because people AVOID silver lake because the police are WAY too aggressive…
I will give you an example, do you have a scanner? Perhaps you should get one so you can hear all the times the so called, Police, (rent-a-cop) that Silver Lake’s tax dollars are going too, pull over driver’s from the ages of 18-20 after midnight, due to the fact they are driving at that time, maybe to pick up a parent that has been drinking, a friend who might be drinking or even coming home from a second shift job.
How about the village attorney, who doesn’t even know the proper law and the police for that fact.
The police should be there to protect and make the tax payers feel secure, not harrass the very tax payers who pay their salaries. No wonder why the taxes are so high in silver lake compared to Salem Township, that’s right Kenosha County Sheriff patrols are area and guess what, lower taxes, happy people.
I was stopped on Highway AH, police said they were behind me, not. Why are then on AH? Out of jurisdiction once again, using tax payers money for gas.
Since the police hang out in the BP station during the morning hours with Barb she should ask the police why revenue is down.
i am going to forward all this to our news team and see what they think
hopefuly things will change most important police on small lakes everywhere
and for the reopening of files request yea ok
i will get you a writen statement from someone i know that most certainly has been hurassed on silver lake he is from another state and said he will never fish wisconsin again “thanks silver lake” well open your files and look how simular all of them look.. if it worked once for revenue it will work again
hey has anyone been pulled over for getting to close to another fisherman
or has anyone been taken to jail for throwing a cigarette in the lake after an officer instructed him to do so
i dont live in silver lake and never will and will most definitly continue to share my thoughts with everyone i know and meet
I still do not see the facts, all speculations here. As far as getting a scanner, why? If an 18-20 year old, or anyone for that mater, is out driving like a jack hole and breaking the speed limit or any other law then they should get pulled over and cited for just that. I fail to see the need to call the police officer’s “rent a cops†Do you know any of their qualifications or is that to just speculate as well? I would think that there would need to be some kind of training for them to be police officers. And to SILVER LAKE – NOT GOOD FOR BUSINESSES you can not compare the Town of Salem to the Village of Silver as they are two different municipalities and are govern under very different laws when it comes to taxes. Taxes in Silver Lake are higher not because of the police department but rather the Riverview School District. Look at the break down of the tax bill and you will see. As far at the attorney and the officers not knowing the law I again ask, do you know their qualifications? Maybe you should ask for them and look them over before blinding saying they are “rent a cops†and don’t know the laws or am I to just blindly speculate and say you are the one that is breaking the laws and getting stopped for doing such. No I shouldn’t, because it would not be fair to say.
SMTF does not understand village and town government nor that they are separate from school districts and SMTF doesnt understand the difference between county and village officers. Salem by the way does not have a police department. They think they are police because of their full time jobs but they are public safety officers and need the sheriff or a cop from Silver Lake to do their police work.
SMTF clearly doesnt understand how taxes are calculated.. CLEARLY does not understand.
I will continue to skirt around Silver Lake. It is a good thing that the DQ is so far away from ghost-town downtown Silver Lake that I can get in and out while holding my breath. If it were downtown ghosttown I wouldnt give them any business. WOW! to think that the only business in Silver Lake is a DQ. I hear the Italian joint is great but I wont go that deep into the village. Sorry….
To return to the first comment about the Revenue increase. They received $80,000 in 2010 and 60,000 in 2011 all the while knowing that they received in less still budgeted an increase revenue to $101,000. ALl that just to balance a budget? What is the fund balance for the Village. I can only guess that it is not much greater than 10% of the budget. That isnt much reserve cash. ANd will decrease when it is used by this [re-destined shortfall. What has the trend been in their citation revenues? Has it been downward? But still the trustees agreed with such a substantial increase in the expected revenues, Barb included I guess knowing that the chances of getting those dollars was slim to none?
again re:hurassment look at all the simular citations these police trick people and make them feel degrated and scared with there poor aggresive conduct
you show me where in there qualified training that this is acceptable i have seen it first hand “mr or mrs show me the facts” i would bet the farm you havent witnessed this
people this website is the best thing that has happened to silver lake.
people need to come out of the woodwork and put a stop to this.. this is wisconsin not las angeles
Silver Lake is a great place to live and the Police are there to protect the citizens. There is crime everywhere and it is much worse than most people realize. Where are they patrolling before and after school? Answer: watching that the kids come and go safely, guarding against the perverts. I for one feel safer knowing Silver Lake has a full service police department looking out for the citizens and kids of the village.
And one other thing for the those complaining about too much police presence: The question is why fines are DOWN this year, not UP!
To Avoiding Silver Lake: We are glad you are avoiding our village because you are obviously ill-informed and lacking the facts to make a solid argument.
To everyone confused on the workings of local government: village and town government is directly tied to the workings of the school district. Much of the money taxpayers pay is to fund a school. Yes, other departments receive money, but schools drive taxes, not police departments. I see this in the town that my school district is in.
In general, people are very quick to point the finger in the direction of police officers. In any given news media all we hear is negativity about cops. People fail to realize what it takes to be a police officer. You people, that are so quick to bash these hard-working men and wish they were non-existent, are the same people they are willing to risk their lives for. You are the people they are here to serve and protect. People are quick to slander and quick to judge when they want out of a ticket for something they have done, but the same people expect that justice be served to someone committing a crime against them. We hate the police for doing their job, yet expect them to do it well towards other people.
Is the police department perfect? No, of course not. No business or operation is. But I feel a whole lot safer with the Silver Lake Police Department in tact, as is, than I would if Silver Lake did not have its own police department.
Maybe you have not needed the assistance of the Silver Lake Police Officers in a time of desperation, but I have experienced the fine work and dedication of several officers when I needed them most.
You may not be happy with the police department, which I could understand, seeing as you all seem to be speeders and law-breakers that have had negative encounters with these guys, but clearly there are residents of Silver Lake that do not share your opinion; clearly there are residents satisfied with the services these men are providing, me being one of them.
Now, back to the original article. The President of Silver Lake stated that police action is up, yet revenue is down. The disconnect seems to not be in the police officers’ doing, but in something else going on. That seems to be the issue at hand.
The bottom line here is that the Village should be for the people by the people. Not the ill informed Board or the Police Department. Where are the thriving businesses like Paddock Lake, Twin Lakes.
If SLPD supporter likes paying taxes for 20 plus part time police that have to call KCPD for back up and the residents of silver lake have to pay for their services need to get next to themselves. This is a village of 2500 people, if you want to live in a suburb go to Illinois or better yet, further away.
Do an open records search on how many warning tickets are issued in this “Village”.
If you like people avoid Silver Lake then you are the one that is in the dark. Towns, villages, cities, wherever you may live usually like people coming into their stores, shops, businesses. But since Silver Lake doesn’t have that and police who don’t want them there, Silver Lake will always be a what it is, nothing.
To Show me the facts:
The whole point is that no one is driving lake a “jack hole” (shows your intelligence) it is the time of night that the person is driving is the ONLY reason why they are being stopped. There is nothing speculative there.
And by the way, part of Salem Township is in the Riverview School District and the taxes are lower, I did look at the breakdown of my tax bill. Get your facts straight.
Just because you disagree with someone’s view point does not mean they are law breakers, it shows the uselessness of the SLPD. The village only needs the rescue squad to help people. If people need help, they can rely on educated, qualified police officers like Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department, who are not out just to get revenue from the citizens. If Silver Lake had thriving businesses, and people wouldn’t be concerned about opening a business there due to the “officers”, can you imagine what it could be?
first of all if you are in the riverview school district, say camp lake, you pay for riverview school on your taxes!!! please, YOU should know the facts…
the cops in silver lake are BULLIES…
i know people from illinois who will no longer go to taste of italy because the do not want to deal with the cops…
maybe they should accept some responsibilty!!!
again, not a speeder or law breaker!!!
but still HATE driving through silver lake!!!
To Allen:
I dont’ know where you have lived, but where I live, there isn’t crime everywhere, that may be due to the fact that we have Kenosha County in our area.
The answer is obvious to your questions, revenue is down because people DO NOT DRIVE in silver lake so less people in village, less revenue. (less citations)
There are plenty of lakes in Wisconsin where you don’t have to be on Silver Lake.
someone u sed my handle…
I didnt say that VofS had crime. They just have speedtrap cops and going to the center of the village is like playing roulette.
To the write who thinks that school taxes and village taxes and town taxes are all by the same people, you are incorrect and are in need of some education. The one who stated that Riverview straddles Salem and VoS, you have it correct.
To the one who says there is a disconnect between the SLPD and the Court, you are heading in the right direction. I recall an attorney consult at the VoSL court one day wher a DUIer was given a big break. Dont know how that could happen when it was not the first time. The fine was equal to mine which was for 26 in a 25.
It is who you know. I wouldnt vote for anyone who is coming back to the trusteeships. Keep the old ones out. Let the new group work and elect a new judge.
I live in Silver Lake and I’ve sat through Silver Lake Court several times and have not seen anyone in court for speeding that was not cited for going at least 15mph over the limit or more. I also have found that several people were facing marijuana charges and underage drinking. The Police do a fine job I like them in my community. The Police also investigate several criminal acts and have solved several criminal cases for the sheriff’s department. The Silver Lake Police Department has also arrested several people for sexual assault of children and work hard investigating those cases. The Sheriff’s department has contracts with Paddock Lake and Bristol but constantly pull those Deputies out of those areas to take other calls and assist other deputies. After going on those calls outside of Paddock Lake or Bristol the Deputy spends several hours writing those reports and not patrolling. Those communities are paying for the service and are not getting their monies worth. This summer the entire area surrounding Silver Lake was hit hard with burglaries some neighborhoods almost every address was hit but Silver Lake only had a few burglaries and I believe that that is due to the Officers patrolling Silver Lake doing their jobs correctly. How many times have you driven the county and seen two sheriff’s squads parked in the back of a dark parking lot sitting around just talking. You drive past hours later and they haven’t moved. I don’t see that in Silver Lake, they are on patrol all of the time.
SILVER LAKE POLICE KEEP UP THE GOOD JOB!!!
You are the only one responding as a supporter. You either must be on the board or somehow associated witht he SLPD. Because you are in the minority not the majority.
Wow thanks for the heads upon the sexual predatoris in silver lake. No wonder why thye SLPD have to make sure the children are escorted safely to school.
I live outside of Silver Lake and we weren’t burglarized. Where are those facts, which paper did you read them in. I would like to look at those articles. Or is outside silver lake meaning Chicago.
SLPD sure is on patrol all the time. Outside their jurisdiction. Just ask the people in Camp Lake who see their squads. Even further down highway “B”. Which is no longer Cogswell Drive, nor Silver Lake. They way back in a driveway at the edge of town by that old farm house for hours, yeah, okay, they are patroling.
You keep supporting your SLPD (Rent-A-Cops on the weekends). Keep paying your HIGH taxes for SLPD for busting those sexual preditors. Maybe one day they could actually do something for you!
it seems that we may be on to something
I think people need to re-read the original article that was published. It was stating that the police have written the same amount of tickets, yet the amount of revenue received is down 25%. I think that is what the original issue, not about the cops writing less tickets because people don’t come thru town. And as far as the budget, I guess you should ask the former board members why they chose to increase the revenue up $20,000 more than they collected from previous years instead of being realistic. So the real question is “Why are fines down, when tickets are at the same???” Maybe something to ask the Judge!!!
Wasn’t Barb Ironside on the previous Board? I do believe so. I am sure she was. Didn’t she quit? Oh that is right she came back. How stables is the Baord in Silver Lake? Shouldn’t Ironside know the answers to these questions, why would she waste time RESEARCHING?
She can just as the SLPD, she is close with them chit chatting in the morning, gossiping about everyone, everything. Her life must be so dull.
For all of you who don’t want local cops go live on Paddock Lake where they contract via KCSD and Salem Fire – Get less and pay more. Next time you see them, thank a Silver Lake cop for their service and dedication to Silver Lake.
to silver lake police supporter wow
did you listen to what you wrote
you just completely disrespected the entire kenosha county police department to support your own small crime department you make me sick
i like police just not bully’s in a small town, whom think they have the world by the a– and use that power for the wrong reasons
i suggest no one else drives in silver lake because you might get a citation for running a red light,,,,it may take you a while to understand that mr police supporter but thats ok you have nothing but time sleeping in your courtroom whatching other peoples cases
you know this is it for me i cannot stand the stupidity of some people
listen everyone
our past present and future presidents of the united states come from places just like this one
is this another politial debate
it is simple! this i hope is a country of religion faith and morals
and this websites forum i have seen has none of those
it seems to me it is about greed and nothing other
look at the one whom is trying to hide or resign early??? paranoid
heet is on gotta go
Friday night, 8:30PM, it was observered: Silver Lake Squad, lights off, engine running, ( tax payers money for the fuel )behind Packer Inn in the Peoples Bank ( hiding) : Also same time
2nd Silver Lake Squad, lights off, engine running backed up behind GTE, next to Uncle George’s Bar and Grill.
Is this how they are going to make up the revenue to pay for that nice raise the Silver Lake Police got?
Come on people in Silver Lake…wake up….something smells here.
This town is dying. Soon there will be no businesses.
Yes it will be a ghost town.
During the Roger Johnson admin. a offer was submitted by David Beth and another kenosha county Detective to patrol silver lake, just like Salem. they would handle dispatch, vehicle up keep, and tons of other things. which would save the village of silver $$$$. I wonder if the new administration would like to see this offer,.and consider it seriousl. I have a copy and will b happy to provide it to the west of the i
Thank you for for the OBSERVATIONS. I suspect that Uncle George, Packer Inn enjoy being targeted! It doesnt say much for People Bank or GTE either to allow them to spy on their fellow business owners.
I do agree, there were some pretty nasty comments against the Keosha Sheriff’s Deputies in this.
Nice comment about the SLPD getting a raise.
Engstrom is still the judge, right? Unless there has been a major change in his assessment of fines, there must be some disconnect in the way he can enforce the laws based on the body of evidence submitted to him by the SLPD. The website says he is still Da Judge!
Maybe the WOTI could do an interview and ask DaJudge for a comment or two.
If not done already, I am absolutely positive that Dave Beth is on top of contacting albrecht about this. I am also pretty sure that albrecht was contacted during his first term but was stopped dead in his tracks by the other board members at the time. We can see that Roger had no success (read that as desire to unseat his PD friends). Gerber should jump on this! Where’s Gerber? Oh oh Gerber!!
Jan – you need to check on what VoPL pays for services. VoPL gets much more and pays considerably less than others around for exceptional services. VoPL certainly cant afford a PD like Silver Lake and certainly cant afford a fire department like Salem. I was going to say that VoPL has no space for a police department but I forgot that in March they will have a new space formerly occupied by the Sharing Center.
If the VofSL had their budget up on their website, it would be easy to see how terrifically the SLPD is impacting the small base of taxpayers in the village.
I thought I was the only one down on SLPD. Way back I have said we do not need them. They arn’t around when needed, county has responded. It is a waste of tax payers money. Everytime I see the squads on AH, I want to pull them over, this is wrong. I have been told they are on lunch, but Silver Lake has Dairy Queen, Packer Inn, Legion and if I’m not mistaken a kitchen in the village hall. What’s wrong with brown bagging it. I take my lunch to work.
Since there is a new article posted on this webiste, verifying the fact that people are staying out of the Village, are you still supporters. How will this Village every prosper with the narrow minded though process of these people. WAKE UP!!!!
I have lived in Silver Lake on and off all of my life and I agree with doing away with SLPD. Most officers we get are either young inexperienced officers with a huge ego or old officers who have a chip on their shoulders. Every so often there is a fair person, but our chief is a good guy. I agree with people avoiding Silver Lake because the town is way to strict. I mean the 25 mph speed limit is very slow but we have alot of kids in the town and the idiots from Illinois think they can fly through our little country town. The cops need to be a little easier on locals…they are way to aggressive on us. I could go on and on about how they abuse their power in this small little town but what good would that do?? We all know how it goes and most of us from the area know it wont change until we vote them out of town. I suggest that people look at the pros and cons about brining in an outside police force. Personally I am more than happy to have Kenosha county patrol our neighborhood like Bristol and Paddock Lake do, but most people are to scared to step up and vote….if you all do a little research on the matter, I bet you will voting them out… Silver Lake will never sustain any business until people start comming back into our town. That wont happen until we are freed from the small town rule of the hainess SLPD. We have a beautiful town with some really great people! Id love to see our town prosper again and I think getting rid of our police department is the step in the right direction. Im entitled to an opinion, and that’s it. Like it or not, that’s how I feel.
I was born and raised in silver lake but moved out 17 years ago but still have to go back to visit family that still resides there . if it wasnt for family still there i would never go back in that town they have nothing to offer unless you like visiting ghost towns that is what it is becoming because of the cops. get rid of the cops there is NOTHING for them to do except harass the people living in the town because everybody avoids silver lake like the plague. WAKE UP people from Silver Lake you dont need 2 patrol cars on duty on a week night or even a weekend because NOTHING EVER HAPPENS get rid of the cops and SAVE ALOT OF $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Silver lake dont need all of these full time officers that is a JOKE. Wilmot , basset. new munster, camp lake, trevor, salem , bristol dont have any… kenosha county sheriffs patrol the area or are close and dependable when called. not like silver lake which i have seen when called on a number of times they wait till the county arrives then they show up as back up. I can go on and on and on and on and on why Silver Lake dont need all of the officers they have on there payroll but i GUESS The citizens of silver lake like paying ( HIGH) TAXES taxes to keep there police force . ppl of Silver lake if you know anybody in surrounding area ask them how much they pay for taxes and compare you will be suprised silver lake is one of the highest in kenosha county because of the police dept . get rid of them and then maybe then u can fix up the town with all of the money you be saving. PPL look at downtown silver lake it is like a ghost town then look at twin lakes they have a nice downtown and A Hell of alot more then silver lake has to offer
I did make known to a few members of the SLVB that the Sheriff’s Department would be more than willing to contract for the policing services a few years ago. The savings would have been somewhere between $60,000 – $100,000 annually, but exact numbers were never worked out as there was never any follow-up by the Board with my department. We would be happy to make a presentation if asked by the Village Board, but I said I would not without thier request. The officers of Silver Lake do an admirable job for the size and funding they are allowed. All officers do sit on occasion for a few hours with paperwork. Our jobs are filled with writing reports.
old saying if you throw a rock in silverlake it will land on a cop car over kill ya think? im not going there.
mr david beth thank you so much for listening to these comments,, i know things will be heard from here on in….
you will always have my family’s vote
so all we have to do is have the village board request this
if this is so then i hope this post hasn’t beeen a waste of our time
i personaly will make this known to all the people in silver lake
remember i am not a resident
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