*** UPDATE *** It appears the sheriff broke an agreement. From DuPage County Board Chair Deb Conroy…
I’ll just stick by our statement yesterday. We had a productive conversation, and the sheriff assured me he would uphold all state and local laws. During our meeting, we agreed to release a joint statement and say nothing further.
So, as far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing more to say. We move forward, focusing on keeping our residents and community safe.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Background is here if you need it. Letter posted by DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick on Facebook…
Do not listen to the media. I was not threatened to be censured or anything else during this meeting.
Um, the public threats of censure clearly came well before the meeting. Sheriff Mendrick knew what he’d gotten himself into and what consequences he faced. As far as I can tell, no media outlet reported that any such threats were made during the meeting. Maybe he just saw something on Facebook.
* Back to the letter…
The meeting that I had with States Attorney Bob Berlin and County Board Chair Debra Conroy yesterday was the first day three tiers of government came together in discussion on this topic.
We ALL agreed that our police should not be going to the homes of our law. abiding residents to harass them over gun registration. They get the issues. We will not be sending deputies out proactively to take your lawfully owned guns. Please remove that stressor from your lives.
Sheriff, it was you and others like you who freaked people out by claiming that law enforcement would be going door to door.
* Returning to the letter…
What we will be doing is enhancing penalties for those that use guns illegally in the commission of crimes. Those that commit gun crimes in DuPage will find out how seriously we take gun offenses. If you are not using a gun to conduct criminality, you have nothing to fear from us. If your use of a gun is to harm someone within DuPage County, we are united to make sure you endure every possible penalty that we can bestow upon you for your crimes.
We have reached a time where we must protect our citizens from illegal gun use and at the same time allow law-abiding citizens the ability to defend themselves. The media will make up their own version of this interaction to create conflict, but the truth is that we all agree on the difference between lawful citizens and criminals.
So, if a Naperville police officer arrests a gun store owner for selling banned assault weapons, the sheriff will now allow that person to be incarcerated in his county jail?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:30 pm:
This is the GOP as a member of law enforcement… all in one letter no less.
Can’t back down, but needed to back down, asked to back down… backed down.
In actuality, I read all this and it’s not that there’s a fear of “Democrat problems” but his own fear to the extremists thinking he’s weak, scared, not a “Patriot”, and folding to “Democrat Bad”
How small can one be, then put it down in a letter… to stave off the crazy folks.
Whew.
- Roadrager - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:30 pm:
Talk about an inability to read the room. The County Board was trying to give you cover yesterday, Sheriff. Best of luck with your continued studies of reading between the lines of the Constitution and ignoring what’s within them.
- Big Dipper - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:32 pm:
Isn’t he supposed to say the lamestream media? Review your talking points, sheriff. Also I don’t think he knows what tiers are.
- Sir Reel - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:35 pm:
Sherrif: we’re not gonna do what we weren’t gonna do cuz we wouldn’t do it. Got it.
- Lurker - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:35 pm:
Did he learn how to make things better from George Santos?
- jackmac - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:37 pm:
DuPage sheriff peeks out of the conservative bubble and discovers he’s way out of step with the public.
The response? Blame the media, of course.
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:40 pm:
It is comforting to know that elected law enforcement officers are:
So ignorant of the law;
So ignorant of separation of powers;
So defensive when the nonsense they spout is proven to be nonsense; and
So heavily armed.
- TheInvisibleMan - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:42 pm:
I would have been more surprised if he suddenly became rational.
Today, I am not surprised.
- The Opinions Bureau - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:49 pm:
I know you’re not much for details, Sheriff, but Chair Conroy’s name is spelled “Deborah.”
https://www.dupagecounty.gov/CountyBoard/Chairman/17500/
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:54 pm:
I hope he enjoyed his term as sheriff he will not be around after next election. He will not get a pass next time
- Dupage mom - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:57 pm:
Conroy didn’t have the county board votes to censure
- DHS Drone - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:01 pm:
“Now that I’ve been promised that I’ll never have to do what I never had to do, I will promise to do my job.” /S
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:01 pm:
===Conroy didn’t have the county board votes to censure===
Maybe, maybe not, but here’s the thing to that, getting board members on the record to what the sheriff was doing (or nut going to do) was also weighed by the politics, even measured by the sheriff.
The sheriff actually “lost” by any measure, less the censure.
Sheriff looks paranoid, confused, angry. scared, and unhinged… then “the media”…
So Conroy is the one who has come up short, lol
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:20 pm:
===If your use of a gun is to harm someone within DuPage County, we are united to make sure you endure every possible penalty that we can bestow upon you for your crimes.===
So rather than use the new tools at his disposal to prevent someone’s tragic death, he’ll be extra tough once the body is cold?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:23 pm:
===Conroy didn’t have===
Yeah, because one of our resident anti-vaxxers would certainly know Democratic whip counts in DuPage.
- Protocol Droid - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:24 pm:
This isn’t the first time Mendrick has demonstrated thin skin and an inability to handle being questioned or challenged. It’s just the first time those traits are drawing much public scrutiny.
- Norseman - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:28 pm:
Mendrick is who we thought he was.
- Stormsw7706 - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:29 pm:
What an embarrassment. Clearly has no business upholding the law.
- Dysfunction Junction - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:40 pm:
=What we will be doing is enhancing penalties for those that use guns illegally in the commission of crimes.=
Question: if one of the guns banned by this new legislation (say, an AR-15 ghost gun and an unregistered 30-round clip) are successfully used by a resident in a home defense situation, does that constitute an illegal act? In that case, the Sheriff’s staff wouldn’t have to proactively kick down doors, they would likely be responding to a 911 call. Would he sheriff charge the homeowner with use and possession of a banned weapon in this situation?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:44 pm:
===Would he sheriff charge the homeowner with use and possession of a banned weapon in this situation? ===
That is not an immediate consideration unless the person bought the gun after the ban went into effect.
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 2:26 pm:
The sheriff wanted to virtue signal. He’supset that he’s paying a price for what he thought was a free shot at fame.
- ExMayor - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 2:46 pm:
Mendrick is a “politician” not a true Sheriff
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 2:53 pm:
===not a true Sheriff ===
As far as I know, all sheriffs are elected in this state.
- DuPage Moderate - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 2:56 pm:
He’s not running again anyways, so he doesn’t care. He is likely damaging the prospects of his appointed successor taking over and winning a contested election by the minute. But, the Democrats are doing that as well with their complete and total loss of control over crime. Will be interesting to watch for sure.
- Dotnonymous - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 3:01 pm:
Mendrick doesn’t seem able to control his unstable emotions…he appears quite tetchy.
Hysteria is not a needed qualification for any Sheriff.
- Loop Lady - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 3:02 pm:
DuPage Moderate:
Are you implying DPC ain’t ready for reform?
The GOP is limping along in the suburbs of Chicago.
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.
Conroy intervened, and Mendrick gets to eat some crow.
- Lincoln Lad - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 3:05 pm:
Stupid is as stupid does… and please explain how he ran unopposed in November. None of this is new to those of us in DuPage… his first term proved who he was, yet no one was slated against him.
- Dotnonymous - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 3:08 pm:
Didn’t back down…dint dint dint…and don’t anybody say I did…(sound of stamping feet).
- DuPage Moderate - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 3:41 pm:
Loop Lady, explain reform?
I think he’s massively on the wrong side of DuPage polling on assault weapons. But, I also think it’s a really tight balance.
DuPage is another Oak Brook Mall event or two or a carjacking or two on Butterfield Road away from surrendering most “reform” issues in lieu of the status quo on personal safety.
While the Dems swept the last two elections; it can easily swing back the other way. In fact, but for Dobbs, I think it would have been an R sweep in DuPage this past cycle.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 3:48 pm:
===but for Dobbs, I think===
lol
Maybe, but this isn’t a sophomore dormitory.
- Lincoln Lad - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 4:12 pm:
-DuPage Moderate-
…but for Dobbs…
Do you think all the democratic voters who’ve controlled the election cycles for years now were ready to change their minds? In the middle of the national party trying to ignore elections and keep the loser in office? Really?
- Politix - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 4:15 pm:
That’s a lot of words for “um never mind.”
- Pundent - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 4:30 pm:
=In fact, but for Dobbs, I think it would have been an R sweep in DuPage this past cycle.=
Newsflash - The ILGOP was struggling in DuPage county long before Dobbs.
- Union Thug Gramma - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 5:33 pm:
Being a constituent of this elected official, and also being an owner of a mini-14, we have no problem registering it. We don’t watch Red Dawn weekly. His letter is filled with so many false flags and deliberate lies just to beef up his fandom of gun nuts.
- Union Thug Gramma - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 5:36 pm:
DuPage Saint:
I hope he enjoyed his term as sheriff he will not be around after next election. He will not get a pass next time===
Only if Dems put up a candidate. He ran unapposed, didn’t he?
- Protocol Droid - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 6:00 pm:
This whole saga has been quite the political gift to Conroy. She’s gotten to publicly assert her leadership right off the bat of her new administration, and she’s coming across as level-headed and reasonable in contrast to Mendrick’s histrionic flailing.
- MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 6:26 pm:
“In fact, but for Dobbs, I think it would have been an R sweep in DuPage this past cycle.”
So if things had been different, then things would have been different?
Wow.
You should charge for such insights.
– MrJM
- Not Your Gramma - Wednesday, Feb 1, 23 @ 10:24 pm:
Mendrick needs a new staff writer.