Village of Robbins: Special Board Meeting
Village of Robbins: Special Board Meeting (Robbins, IL) – The Village of Robbins today swore in a new chief of police and a new village administrator at a special board meeting. The special meeting comes on the heels of a bit of controversy within the village as most members of the police department walked off the job on Saturday morning, citing low wages, an expired contract, long hours, and expired vests. They have since resumed working.
The meeting began with Mayor Darren E. Bryant addressing the room with a statement of unity after this weekend’s events. He emphasized to the citizens that the community and board remain united through the change of administration and the struggles that come with that, as he was only sworn in this past May after beating incumbent Tyrone Ward. He maintained that the village and the police department will work together to rectify the issues while keeping the safety of the citizens and officers in mind.
Bryant also took a moment to thank the Cook County Sheriff’s Department for patrolling the streets of Robbins on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. He also briefly spoke about Community High School District 218, where he is a teacher. According to Bryant, the district employs about 90% white teachers despite having a diverse student body. He mentioned upcoming community forums as follows:
- Tuesday, October 12th at 6:00-7:00 PM
- Richards High School | 10601 S. Central Avenue Oak Lawn, Illinois 60453
- Wednesday, October 13th at 6:00-7:00 PM
- Shepard High School | 13049 S. Ridgeland Avenue Palos Heights, Illinois 60463
- Thursday, October 14th at 6:00-7:00 PM
- Eisenhower High School | 12700 S. Sacramento Avenue Blue Island, Illinois 60406
Immediately following Washington’s speech, Mayor Bryant moved the meeting forward with the appointment of David Sheppard as the new Chief of Police. After taking the oath of office, Sheppard briefly spoke, first thanking the police officers in Robbins who returned to work today. He is confident that the recent issues within the department will be swiftly resolved so they can return their attention to keeping the village safe. Sheppard also emphasized his open-door policy and ensured the citizens that there would always be an open line of communication with him.
Public comment was fairly uneventful, with most citizens seemingly happy that the turmoil of this last several days has ended on good terms. One speaker was there representing Brosnan, a national security company. This speaker, Archie Stallworth, addressed the Robbins police officers, saying that of any of them are looking for side work, his firm has jobs that pay upwards of $40 per hour.
The meeting adjourned after the board elected to table a discussion on an appropriations ordinance.
The full meeting video can be found below:
Village of Robbins: Special Board Meeting
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