Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau Calls for Rescinding Safety Act, Criticizes COVID Precautions
Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau Calls for Rescinding Safety Act, Criticizes COVID Precautions (Orland Park, IL) — The Village of Orland Park held its fourth board meeting of 2022 on Monday, Feb. 21. In addition to items on the agenda, Mayor Pekau spoke about the recent arrest and low bond for a suspect arrested on charges involving illegal guns during the Mayor’s Report.
Mayor Pekau provided details of the Nickolas Burch case while giving his report. Burch, a 32-year-old man, pled guilty to lesser federal charges 18 days prior to his arrest. He was facing multiple felony charges, including attempted murder and armed robbery. “Someone on parole for armed robbery and attempted murder out on the street for $500,” emphasized Pekau. “This law must be rescinded, lest we see the policies even worse than those of Kim Foxx and Cook County mandated throughout the entire State of Illinois.”
“If we would have been complacent while Kim Foxx allowed another violent criminal on the streets, another crime would’ve happened and could’ve ended much, much worse. … Unfortunately, Kim Foxx’s office has not learned from this mistake. This is not the first time the Orland Park Police Department has arrested someone that clearly should not have been out on the streets due to past offenses. Criminals are well aware of the catch and release program being run by Cook County, and for a small fee, they can quickly return to the streets. … In January of 2023, thanks to state legislators, including some of ours and Governor Pritzker, every single one of these felons I just mentioned will be released on their own recognizance thanks to the passing of HB 3653, otherwise known as the Safety Act. This Act, as we’ve said before, prioritizes criminals over law-abiding citizens and police officers and eliminates cash bail. Of course, it does not go into effect until after the next election. Shocker. This law must be rescinded, lest we see the policies even worse than those of Kim Foxx and Cook County mandated throughout the entire State of Illinois.”
ATF Agreement
The Village also approved the following agenda item:
Authorization to Enter into the Joint Law Enforcement Operations State and Local Overtime Funding (SLOT) Agreement with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
The Orland Park Police Department has been sought out by the ATF to process evidence for federal cases. The department has state-of-the-art equipment and the ATF has seen the results of its forensic analyses. Latent fingerprints sent to the state of Illinois can take 8-10 months for results while taking only 24-48 hours with departmental equipment. This work will be done after hours and there will be no operational impact. The ATF will pay the department’s employees 1.5 times their hourly rate for work completed. The department will receive additional equipment and supplies as part of the agreement.
Bullying, Shaming Schoolchildren for COVID Choices
In closing remarks, Mayor Pekau discussed the bullying and segregation children are facing in schools as a result of medical choices regarding masks and COVID vaccination. Pekau stated that a court recently overturned Governor Pritzker’s school mask mandate quoting the judge as saying “this type of evil is exactly what the law was intended to constrain.”
Pekau went on to state that “following this, the Governor acted petulantly and dictatorially, by stating that schools still must follow his orders. Then he appealed the ruling and lost again. … Now he is stating that he will appeal to the State Supreme Court. That’s the thing about bullies and dictators, they behave irrationally when they lose power and control … Over the last two weeks there have been many reports of the oppression, bullying, and shaming of schoolchildren in our schools. Students are being isolated from others, being put into gyms and common areas, and shoved in the back of classrooms because they chose not to wear a mask. History shows us repeatedly that those who oppress and segregate others usually are driven by fear and by ignorance. … Ignorance is not an excuse. This abuse is willful choice and the bullies responsible need to be stopped.”
Other Agenda Items
(all approved unanimously)
- Payroll – Approval
- Elevated Tank No. 6 and No. 4 Painting – Bid Award
- Centennial Park Aquatic Center (CPAC) Slide Resurfacing Project
- ITB 22-005 Building Mechanical System Preventative Maintenance and Repairs – Rejection
- Approve Lease and Service for Postage Meter Equipment at Village Hall and Police Station
- An Ordinance Amending the Orland Park Village Code with regards to the Electrical Commission
Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau Calls for Rescinding Safety Act, Criticizes COVID Precautions
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