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University Park trustees approve ordinance revising public-safety role and swear in Patrick Simpson amid pushback
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Summary
After resident comments urging more officers and procedural objections from trustees, the University Park Board approved Ordinance 2026-03 to repeal and replace the director of public safety role and appointed Patrick Simpson, who was sworn in and outlined plans for emergency planning and recruitment.
The University Park Board of Trustees voted to advance an ordinance repealing and replacing the village's director of public safety position and then appointed and sworn in Patrick Simpson as director of public safety during a special meeting.
Residents at the start of the meeting urged immediate action on safety. Charice Williams told trustees she frequently sees people in the village carrying large firearms, saying, "I see individuals with firearms walking ... literal AKs," and asked the board to "keep University Park residents first, foremost, and safe." Several other residents called for more officers and asked whether the village followed proper posting and approval procedures for the new post.
The ordinance drew sustained debate from trustees about process and overlapping duties. Multiple trustees and a board adviser noted that some duties described in the proposed ordinance—supervising daily operations, coordinating budgets and intergovernmental agreements—are tasks the village manager and chiefs also perform. A board adviser told trustees that in other towns a director of public safety typically "assists the chiefs" and does not replace the police or fire chief's operational command. The police chief told the board, "I will still be [handling] the day-to-day operations of the police department," and the fire chief said the fire department would likewise remain responsible for daily operations.
Opponents argued the ordinance's language left unclear who would retain operational control and worried the job duplicates existing responsibilities. One trustee urged removing language that directed duties from the village president and instead said directions should come from the board. Trustees and residents also raised questions about whether the position had been posted publicly, whether resumes were distributed to residents, and what salary line was in the budget; the clerk and other officials referenced a budget figure in the $50,000–$55,000 range for the position.
After debate the clerk recorded the action as Ordinance 2026-03. The board then moved to appoint Patrick Simpson and, following a recorded roll call, completed the swearing-in. Simpson, who introduced himself to those gathered as a 34-year law-enforcement professional and current chief in another community, told trustees he has experience as a public-safety director in school districts and emphasized emergency planning and recruitment. "You don't have emergency response plans. None," he said, adding he had work on plans "about five eighths of the way done" and offered to help implement them. He took the oath of office administered by the clerk and signed required forms.
The meeting concluded after the swearing-in with a motion to adjourn. The ordinance and appointment conclude tonight's action; trustees discussed potential language changes and operational clarifications as next steps but did not announce a follow-up vote or implementation timeline at the meeting's close.
