Lack of police patrols on Fox River adds to safety concerns after deadly boating crash

Safety concerns continue to linger following a deadly incident on the Chain of Lakes this summer.

One of those concerns? The lack of law enforcement presence on the water, especially on weekends.

The McHenry County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit has four boats, but there were multiple weekends this summer when none of them were scheduled to be out.

It was on the McHenry County side of the Fox River where Magdalena Jablonska, 48, lost her life.

Prosecutors say Richard Stevenson, 45, was driving a pontoon over 70 miles per hour when it crashed into the boat Jablonska was in. That was on July 25.

That weekend, CBS Chicago found that no McHenry County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit patrols were scheduled on the water. It was learned that on more than 20 Saturdays and Sundays this past summer, no Marine Unit crews were scheduled.

"That's a bit shocking for us because on the weekends is when a lot of people are out there, so you'd think there would be a greater presence," said Joe Keller, executive director of the Fox River Waterway Agency.

The Chain of Lakes stretches across McHenry and Lake counties — meaning multiple agencies have jurisdiction on the water.

"We obviously are out looking for impaired operators, careless and reckless behavior," said Sergeant Michael McCarty, with the Lake County Sheriff's Office marine unit. 

The unit has 4 patrol boats plus 4 other boats they use to monitor activity. They also have patrols on their side of the waterway every weekend.

Back on the McHenry side, the unit issued no speeding tickets in the last two years, although there are no speed limits during the day on the chain. Only one arrest for operating while intoxicated was made in the last four years.

"Depending on where the jurisdiction was, that would be a little surprising," McCarty said.

The total budget for the McHenry County Marine Unit was $63,000 this year. That includes utilities, fuel, and maintenance.

"The size of the patrol unit, boating patrol for police departments, is so small compared to the rest of the department," said Brady Ruel with Boat Safe Chicago. 

The unit also says it is difficult to patrol the 7,000 acres that make up the system.

"If all the law enforcement agencies that patrol the Chain O'Lakes had every asset available to them on patrol, we can't be everywhere all the time," McCarty said.

Illinois conservation police also patrol both sides of the chain.

In a statement two days after this story originally aired, the McHenry County Sheriff's Office provided the statement below regarding their patrol coverage of the Fox River:

"The Fox River is subject to state jurisdiction and oversight. The Sheriff's Office has long committed additional local resources in a cooperative effort to provide another layer of public safety on the water, because the river is an important part of McHenry County and having trained law enforcement personnel on the water provides an additional public safety resource for our residents and visitors.  

The geography of the waterway presents operational realities. The Fox River and Chain O' Lakes system includes more than 30 miles of river between the Wisconsin state line and the Algonquin Dam. The Stratton Lock and Dam divides significant portions of that waterway.  Operationally, the Sheriff's Office utilizes separate boats to provide coverage north and south of the dam. 

Our Marine Unit operations also present unique staffing challenges. These are seasonal, part-time assignments that must be filled by qualified law enforcement personnel. Our regular full-time patrol deputies cannot simply be reassigned to fill these seasonal positions because employee classifications and collective bargaining agreements govern those assignments. As a result, the Marine Unit relies on a limited pool of qualified law enforcement personnel who are willing and available to work seasonal part-time shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays, while often maintaining other law enforcement employment. Marine Unit personnel are currently compensated at $25 per hour. Like any seasonal operation, having budgeted personnel hours does not automatically mean qualified personnel are available to fill every potential shift. The Marine Unit personnel also begin training approximately one month before the traditional boating season to meet required training and state mandates. Our regular boating season generally runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with operations sometimes continuing beyond Labor Day depending upon weather and river conditions.  

Taken together, these factors matter when discussing coverage. The size and geography of the waterway, required training, available personnel, and seasonal scheduling mean the Marine Unit cannot be everywhere on the river at every hour of every day. Our responsibility is to deploy the qualified personnel and resources available where and when we believe they can provide the greatest public safety benefit.  

Regarding the specific boating incident referenced in recent discussions, McHenry County Dispatch received no 911calls regarding the boat in question prior to the incident, and the Marine Unit was not operating on the river prior to the event. That information had previously been provided by our Office in response to questions about the incident. 

We also want to clarify the suggestion that the Sheriff's Office denied a request for comment.  A request was sent to a general Sheriff's Office email late in the day which did not allow the Office a meaningful opportunity to gather and provide the information outlined above before the reporter's deadline. We remain available to any media outlet seeking information about our operations. 

McHenry County is facing difficult budget decisions. We respect that reality and take our role as stewards of taxpayer resources seriously. There is always room for honest discussion about priorities and spending, but those discussions should be grounded in complete and accurate information. Our commitment is to provide those facts, remain transparent, and continue doing everything we reasonably can to keep McHenry County safe."