September 26, 2017 QCOnline.com
GENESEO – Police soon may be able to incinerate drug evidence faster and at higher temperatures.
Aldermen voted Tuesday to recommend to council Oct. 10 the purchase of an Illinois-made “Drug Terminator” incinerator. Cost is about $4,000. The police department’s drug fund has the money available and it must be used on drug enforcement.
There is very little smell or smoke from the incinerator.
“You don’t have the smell of cannabis going into the air,” said Officer Dan Schmitt.
It’s possible Geneseo may allow other small communities to use the incinerator for a small rental fee.
City administrator Lisa Kotter said Geneseo police have burned with a less high-tech method in the past and it probably would not work for Geneseo to use the county’s incinerator.
“We would essentially have to pay two officers overtime, because we’re not going to take them off the street to use the county’s,” she said.
Two officers have to be present, and the incineration of evidence has to be filmed. The court also must agree that the case is finished. Officer Schmitt said incineration would have to take place somewhere that he could park his squad to use its camera.
In other business, the city was notified by letter that Mediacom is seeking to ask the state for authorization of its franchise.
To keep from losing its service provider fee, Geneseo must take action with an ordinance for cable and video regulations.
“It’s $24,000 per year, so that would be a significant chunk if you don’t adopt this,” said Ms. Kotter.
She said she’d gotten advice on an ordinance for the situation from Ancel-Glink attorney Adam Simon, who also helped the city with a small antennae ordinance. Part of the history was that AT&T had wanted to get back into the cable business in 2007 after selling to Comcast in 2001, and a law for statewide franchising was created.
The measure will be forwarded to the Oct. 10 council meeting.