Municipalities Team up to Fight Crime at Local Dealerships

The Villages of Orland Park, Tinley Park and Orland Hills are combining resources in an effort to combat crime that has grown more frequent at local car dealerships.

The newly established police department-based task force is an initiative put into place as a proactive measure to prevent and deter burglaries and thefts that have become troublesome in recent months.

“Resource collaboration, technology and intelligence sharing are important attributes that will be utilized to counter the increased number of car dealerships being victimized throughout the Chicagoland area,” said Orland Park Chief of Police Joe Mitchell.

The three area police departments are no stranger to combining efforts for public safety, as the municipalities often assist one another.

“The aim is to protect local businesses while keeping the public safe from opportunistic offenders looking to steal cars to further commit more violent crimes,” remarked Tinley Park Police Chief Matthew Walsh.

“We appreciate the partnership we have with the Orland Park and Orland Hills Police Departments that allow for collaborative efforts such as these that will aid in the reduction of this type of crime,” All three police departments will work together to surveil, and if the need arises, apprehend individuals who attempt to or commit crimes at local businesses.

“The Village of Orland Hills Police Department looks forward to working alongside Orland Park and Tinley Park police departments,” said Orland Hills Police Chief Michael Blaha.

“The car dealership burglaries in the area are a shared concern, so joining resources is the best way to tackle an issue such as this one.”

The community may notice an increase in police presence along 159^th Street and areas where car dealerships are prevalent.

As always, we ask that if you see something that just looks suspicious, please say something by calling the non-emergency line of your local police department or in the case of an emergency, dial 9-1-1.