05/22/2026
๐ง๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ข ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ฆ.
For decades, Tinley Park Police Department held two department-wide meetings every year, one in the spring and one in the fall. These meetings gave officers a clear understanding of upcoming initiatives, operational changes, department goals, and allowed the membership an opportunity to ask questions directly to leadership. More importantly, they promoted transparency, communication, and unity within the department.
Since Fall of 2024, not a single department meeting has been held.
One was scheduled for April 2026, then delayed after command staff reportedly needed additional time to prepare responses to questions submitted by the membership something many officers cannot recall ever occurring before. It was later pushed to May and ultimately canceled again. Meanwhile, officers continue showing up every day doing the job under increasing uncertainty and with very limited communication from leadership regarding the direction of the department.
What is even more concerning is hearing the attitude from some corners questioning the very purpose of these meetings in the first place, as if open communication with the men and women doing the work every day is somehow unnecessary. To many officers, that mindset alone says everything about the disconnect that currently exists. Department meetings were never just โmeetings.โ They were a professional standard that kept officers informed, allowed concerns to be addressed openly, and reinforced accountability throughout the organization.
At the same time, there have also been growing concerns among officers regarding the flow of information within the department and whether critical incidents and operational matters are being communicated consistently across divisions and units. Effective policing depends on coordination, trust, and communication, not confusion, silence, or officers learning important information after the fact.
This is one of many reasons why the Vote of No Confidence remains in place.
The men and women of this department are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for transparency, accountability, and leadership willing to communicate openly with the people carrying the weight of this profession every single day. Strong leadership does not avoid questions or minimize communication, it embraces it.
