Public Safety
As your McHenry County Board Member, Carolyn Campbell has consistently supported law enforcement and other public safety agencies and measures through her voting record, public support, and personal actions.
Carolyn has supported the Sheriff’s Police Social Worker (PSW) Program from the beginning. The PSW program supports officers by bridging the gap between law enforcement and social service providers, connecting people in crisis with the help they need. It also provides direct support to our deputies who are personally impacted by the trauma or stress of the work they do every day.
Serving over 2,000 individuals annually, the PSW program has led to a 70% percent reduction in police contacts for clients, with 73% of individuals served showing increased personal and daily functioning. PSW frees police officers up to keep our communities safe, potentially saves taxpayer dollars, and provides for better outcomes for individuals, their families, and our community as a whole.
Carolyn voted in favor of building the McHenry County Regional Training Center Firearms Facility to insure that police departments in the County have direct access to state-of-the-art training facilities.
Costs are shared by multiple police departments, saving taxpayer dollars throughout McHenry County.
Carolyn consistently supports efforts to fund the McHenry County Sheriff’s office, and voted in favor of increasing the number of Sheriff’s deputies - something that had not happened in 20 years.
Traffic and Pedestrian Safety - Actions, not Words!
To enhance public safety through transportation upgrades, Carolyn advocated for a speed limit reduction on Lakewood Rd - which the Board approved.
This also allowed for the installation of a flashing beacon to further improve pedestrian safety.
Carolyn worked directly with Lake in the Hills Police Chief Mannino to convince the McHenry County Board to vote in favor of a speed limit reduction on Pyott Rd – a stretch notorious for pedestrian incidents and car accidents, including some fatalities.
The initiative passed despite opposition from eight County Board Members who voted against the direct request of a local chief of police expressing real concerns about public safety.
Earlier this year, Carolyn led a town hall with 25+ Algonquin residents concerned about traffic, pedestrian, and related homeowner safety issues in their neighborhood.
Though the specific issues fell outside the official scope of her responsibilities, Carolyn listened to their concerns, coached them on productive ways to engage with their village leadership and police department, sought relevant input from the McHenry County Department of Transportation, and held a number of separate conversations with Village of Algonquin leaders and the Algonquin Police Chief to informally seek information and offer a point of view.
The Village has been very responsive, has already run two traffic studies, started implementing an improvement plan, and residents are very happy with the progress.
Carolyn regularly participates in “Coffee with the Chief”, “National Night Out”, and other events to interact with and honor police and fire department personnel, as well as the public.
She sees these as excellent opportunities to get a first-hand understanding of the challenges first responders face, develop and maintain open communication, form partnerships, and generate positive relationships with constituents.
Opening this line of communication has made it possible for Carolyn to connect residents directly with the Sheriff or local police chiefs in a productive way when they express safety-related concerns.
Carolyn serves as the County Board’s liaison to the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and, as such, regularly participates in EMA meetings and training, provides detailed reports to the Board during monthly meetings, and consistently advocates on EMA’s behalf.
She volunteers with the STEP Forward Program, which helps people in the Specialty Courts system develop skills and confidence needed to re-enter the workforce and build a productive future.
Carolyn attended and supported a gun safety initiative sponsored by State Senator DeWitte, State Rep. Ness, and Sheriff Tadelman.
Every year Carolyn participates in the McHenry County Bar Association-hosted “Law Day”, celebrated each May to honor the rule of law and cultivate a deeper appreciation for the legal system. And she attended the 100 Club of Illinois “Valor Awards” for the past two years.
In addition, Carolyn regularly supports social service agencies throughout McHenry County by attending fundraisers to publicly and financially demonstrate support.
Recently, she personally supported at-risk individuals through involvement with New Directions, Live4Lali, NAMI, Warp Corps, Family Health Partnership Clinic, Child Advocacy Center for McHenry County, Home of the Sparrow, International Overdose Awareness Day, and National Fentanyl Awareness Day.
The goal for many of these organizations is to help people avoid or recover from addiction, prevent suicide, and to keep them out of the justice system.
Carolyn also participates in multiple events each year to honor living Veterans and those who have given their lives in service to our country.
Prior to becoming a County Board Member, Carolyn served as a Trustee on the McHenry County Conservation District Board for five years.
She constantly interacted with and supported the District’s police department, and participated in a “ride-along” with one of the District’s sergeants to gain a better understanding of officers’ roles and what they encounter on a daily basis.
