It is hard to believe May is almost halfway gone and summer will be here in a few short weeks.
The past month continued to be very busy for the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office. I spoke about last month about participating in the Distracted Driving Awareness Week. During the week deputies spent a total of 49 hours through special details targeting distracted driving. These efforts resulted in 22 citations and 19 written warnings.  
We also collaborated with the State Police during many of the operations and several citations and warnings were issued by District 1 Troopers. I believe the numbers do not represent the true picture of distracted. The violations are significantly higher as we all witness them on a daily basis.
So how do we solve this traffic safety issue? It starts with you, first put your phone down and be a good example, and secondly use this as a teaching moment. I would highly suggest you explain to your teen the problem of distracted driving and while they are in the passenger seat have them send a quick text and teach them, let them understand just how dangerous a simple text message is.  

I speak almost monthly about emergency management and severe weather preparedness so this month I will continue with the tradition, but on a different note. Following the tornado which impacted the county in 2014, Ogle County Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Richter and I have been asked to speak at many conferences and meetings. We both sit on incident management teams but Tom has taken it a step further and has been teaching, sharing lessons learned both good and bad, helping our neighbors prepare for an incident.  At the Illinois Emergency Services Management Association conference in April, Tom received the 5 Phases Award for demonstrating extraordinary leadership in emergency management.
What I enjoy most about the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office is the dedication our employees have to serve the community we represent. Tom and I share the same belief that nothing can be done on a county scale without a team of dedicated people who care. You do not have to be a patrol deputy, corrections officer or telecommunicator to make a difference. The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management needs your help. We have a group of volunteers who meet regularly and help with many different projects which prepare the county in the event of a disaster. This group is not limited by age or ability, so if you want to volunteer we have a job for you.
Tom can be reached at 815-562-1001 or by e-mail at trichter@oglecounty.org.  
One last reminder for the month, as the rains have finally quit the farmers are out in full force and behind schedule.  This means many long hours which often result in traveling dark country roads at night. Please remember to limit your speed when approaching farm equipment and give them plenty of space so everyone can return safely to their families.

Brian VanVickle is the Ogle County Sheriff