Hampton Hills swears in officer; police report selects towing contractor, launches online resident tools

The Village of Hampton Hills swore in Officer Patrick Patla during the July 6 Board of Trustees meeting; Patla recited the oath to support the U.S. and Illinois constitutions and to faithfully discharge the duties of a police officer. The police chief reported the conclusion of an RFP process to select a towing contractor for the village. The department said four companies responded, one was eliminated for lacking required equipment and two were outside the village boundary; the chief said Accurate (referred to in the transcript as the vendor chosen) has provided five years of service to the village and was selected after equipment, security and driver background checks. The transcript does not show a separate board vote approving the contractor at the meeting. The chief also briefed trustees on programs and services: the village completed summer school with no major issues; Officer Darren Vaughn will serve part time as a school resource officer at Bellgrand and Bosco schools; the department supported a week-long Girl Scouts camp at Grama Willows; and a child car-seat inspection program, operating for nearly two years with volunteer-certified staff, was credited with preventing injury in a recent crash, according to a resident's email read into the record. The department has implemented a Frontline online system for residents to submit vacation checks, keyholder information and directed-patrol requests; the system provides officers and supervisors with time-stamped records and GPS verification of patrol visits, the chief said. The chief described the Frontline rollout as reducing paperwork and improving accountability for patrols. The chief thanked staff and volunteers and asked trustees to recognize officers during upcoming agenda items; no additional formal board actions were recorded on these program reports during the meeting.