Orland Park Police Reject Pekau’s Failed Leadership

For the first time in 60 years, Orland Park’s police officers have taken a stand in a mayoral race – and their message is clear. Orland Park’s 75 police patrol officers (all members of the Metropolitan Alliance of Police) held a vote on whom to back for mayor. 65 officers voted for Jim Dodge, 10 abstained, and 0 voted for incumbent Mayor Keith Pekau

In their endorsement letter, officers praise Dodge: “MAP believes in strong leadership, independence, civility, and transparency in candidates. Dodge and his team have steadfastly demonstrated these attributes. Furthermore, with an eye towards progress, [he] has welcomed innovative policing strategies, community engagement, and state-of-the art methodologies. Jim Dodge and his team have a proven record of devoted service. His decency and fair-minded temperament are cornerstones for a more prosperous community for everyone.”

But about Pekau, they warn: “With a proven track record of backroom deals, duplicity, and bullying, the current Village leadership imperils independent, effective, and professional law enforcement.” The letter outlines serious failures under Pekau’s administration that undermine public safety (https://bit.ly/4hMC2Dp):

• No commitment to strong leadership or transparency
• No ability to retain and recruit the best officers
• No real engagement with the community
• A toxic culture of bullying and backroom deals

This unprecedented rebuke of an incumbent mayor by our own police force signals deep dissatisfaction and underscores the urgent need for change in Orland Park’s leadership. Our police – the people who protect our streets every day – are pleading for new leadership at Village Hall. We should listen.

The Truth Behind Pekau’s “Accomplishments”

While ignoring the real issues plaguing the department and community, Pekau tries to distract voters by boasting about high-tech gadgets he bought for the police – from state-of-the-art tasers and riot helmets to drones and surveillance cameras.

But all the expensive gear and gimmicks haven’t made us meaningfully safer. Crime trends in Orland Park remain statistically unchanged from previous administrations. Pekau did not lower violent crime, nor did he achieve any meaningful reduction in property crime beyond broader declines happening across Illinois (https://bit.ly/CrimeTrendsInOrlandPark )

In other words, Pekau’s “record on crime” is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Let’s
fact-check some of his favorite claims (https://bit.ly/CrimeTrendsInOrlandPark ):

• Pekau’s Claim: Orland Park has the lowest index crimes in 31 years.
• Reality: Violent crime has remained statistically unchanged since 2006, and the decline in property crime is a statewide trend unrelated to anything Pekau did
  
  
• Pekau’s Claim: Orland Park has had the lowest violent crime rate among Illinois cities over50,000 people for five years.
• Reality: Orland Park has always had an extremely low violent crime rate, long before Pekau took office. (He can’t take credit for what was already true.)
  
  
• Pekau’s Claim: Orland Park was ranked 2nd lowest for property crime and 5th lowest for violent crime in an article on the “safest suburbs in America”
• Reality: He cherry-picked favorable stats while ignoring the overall safety rankings—where Orland Park was ranked 120th [unlike Elmhurst, Oak Brook and Naperville, which all made the top 15] (https://bit.ly/SafestSuburbs )

And Finally:

Pekau’s Claim: He has been endorsed for mayor by former police chief Tim McCarthy.

Reality: When McCarthy was asked, he said “I never authorized this statement.
It appears to be a statement that I made two years ago when Keith ran for Congress.”

The Bottom Line

Orland Park needs a leader – not a mayor who hides behind expensive gadgets and cherry-picked statistics. Jim Dodge and his team offer the leadership, transparency, and real solutions our community deserves.

Our police have always been there for us;

now it’s time for us to be there for them.

This election, stand with our police and protect our families by choosing new leadership that will truly keep Orland Park safe. Vote Jim Dodge for Mayor, Mary Ryan Norwell for Clerk, and Dina Lawrence, Joanna M. Liotine Leafblad, and John Lawler for Trustees. Together, let’s bring safety, integrity, and cooperation back to Orland Park’s government.