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Orland Park Board approves police drone, creates emergency management agency and announces state police collaboration
Summary
Mayor Jim Dodge said the Village Board approved buying an unmanned aerial system for police use, officially replaced the village's emergency services agency with a new emergency management agency, and announced a local inter‑agency agreement with the Illinois State Police to station two traffic reconstruction officers in Orland Park.
Mayor Jim Dodge said the Village of Orland Park approved several public‑safety measures, including the purchase of an unmanned aerial system for the police department and the official replacement of the Village Emergency Services and Disaster Agency with a new emergency management agency. "That technology will meaningfully improve situational awareness, officer safety, and our response times," Dodge said of the drone purchase.
The mayor said the police department is "entering into an inter‑agency agreement with the Illinois State Police" that will place two Illinois Traffic Reconstruction Officers in dedicated office space within the Orland Park Police Department to assist with accident response across the area. Dodge added, "We're proud to work hand‑in‑hand with the State Police to better serve the people of Orland Park." The transcript does not state whether separate board votes were required for the inter‑agency arrangement.
Why it matters: the board framed these steps as investments in emergency preparedness and officer safety. The emergency management agency replaces the previous Emergency Services and Disaster Agency as part of a reorganization intended to strengthen disaster response and coordination.
What the board approved: the mayor said the board approved the unmanned aerial system and tethering station for police use, and approved a Patriot Day concert (see separate item). The squad car design received a first review and will be rolled out gradually as vehicles are replaced to manage costs; the board asked that the vehicles retain the department's patriotic theme.
Next steps: the transcript records board approval for the drone purchase and the emergency management restructuring as announcements from the mayor; no implementation timeline, funding source details, vendor names, or formal vote tallies were provided in the transcript. The inter‑agency agreement will place two state traffic reconstruction officers in Orland Park offices, and the village will integrate the new emergency management agency into its preparedness operations.
