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4 | January 25, 2018 | The tinley junction News
tinleyjunction.com
Tinley Park PD wins 11th straight award for National Night Out
SUBMITTED BY TINLEY PARK
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Tinley Park Police Department
has been awarded
a “National” award from
the National Association of
Town Watch for their National
Night Out celebration
in the population category
50,000 to 99,999 for the past
11 years (2007-2017).
Tinley Park’s National
Night celebration was
changed into a community
celebration in 2006 and it
has been held in Zabrocki
Plaza since 2012. Having
the celebration in Zabrocki
Plaza enables visitors to
visit National Night Out
and continue walking down
Oak Park Avenue for Cruise
Night. The celebration features
Police Officers, Honor
Guard Officers, Bike Patrol
Officers, D.A.R.E. Officers,
Child Passenger Safety
Technicians, ILEAS Officer
and SSERT Officers, Fire
Fighters, Emergency Management
Agency employees,
Public Works employees,
local organizations and
businesses. Entertainment
included David Fleming
Family Entertainment, MidwestGarrison.com
was present
with the Star War characters,
D.J. Jackie McDonald,
face painting by Cupkake
Family Entertainment and
the Odyssey Fun World Cow
Train. Visitors also enjoyed
trying on the tactical gear
from the ILEAS and SSERT
Officers.
Since 2010 there has been
a coloring contest for children
entering kindergarten
through fifth grade. The
theme for the 2017 coloring
contest was Be A Friend Not
A Bully the coloring sheet
was a picture of Surf Dog
Richochet. Six coloring contest
winners were announced
and presented their certificates
by Mayor Vandenberg
and Chief Neubauer along
with a copy of the book,
Ricochet, authored by Judy
Fridono who provided six
copies of the books for the
winners. The winners then
received a ride to school in
a squad car during the first
week of school.
Local organizations and
businesses have supported
National Night Out since
2006. Yearly they have
brought their own tables and
chairs and have been at the
event giving out coupons
and information on their
businesses and organizations.
They have supported
National Night Out by advertising
National Night
Out on their sign boards. It
has been promoted in local
newspapers, church bulletins,
Chamber of Commerce,
Park District and the library.
The event has grown since
2006 from under 1000 visitors
to approximately 6000
visitors.
After the National Night
Out celebration a Post Project
Report binder is assembled
with all the details
of the night and includes
the result of Project 365. In
2016-2017 the project was
to continue to educate our
residents about scams and
keeping safe. In the community
we were educating
our residents at the grocery
stores, park district, senior
drop in centers and community
events such as Discover
Tinley and Boo Bash. The
2017-2018 Project 365 is the
hosting of the Coffee With A
Cop program. Since spring
the Coffee With A Cop program
has been held in Tinley
Park.
National Night Out 2018
will take place from 6-9 p.m.
on Aug. 7.
Police Reports
Orland Park man charged with resisting arrest
Martin P. Pendergast, 21, of
West 157th Street in Orland
Park, was charged with resisting
arrest and obstructing
identification on Jan.
11 after he allegedly was
found intoxicated inside
the Geraci Law Office on
Harlem Avenue. Pendergast
reportedly gave police
a name of a relative who
had outstanding warrants
and lives in Philapelphia.
Police reportedly asked
Pendergast what he had in
his pocket at which point he
allegedly pulled out a prescription
pill bottle with his
name on it, but then turned
and attempted to run away.
Pendergast was placed into
custody and transported to
Tinley Park Police Department.
Cook County agreed
to allow Orland Park Police
Department to take custody.
Jan. 10
• A 2013 Hyundai Sonata
reportedly was stolen from
a driveway on 178th Street
in Tinley Park between Jan.
9 and Jan. 10. According to
police, the victim’s father
reported the car stolen while
his son was in Wisconsin
Dells. The victim told police
one of the vehicles two fobs
may have been in the center
console and was unsure
if the vehicle was locked.
The vehicle was entered into
L.E.A.D.S. as stolen.
• An iPad valued at $1,200
was reportedly stolen from
a 2000 Ford Expedition on
Greenwood Drive in Tinley
Park in one of two alleged
break-ins. According to police,
the victim said an unknown
offender gained entry
to the Ford and an Infinity
QX56 while parked in the
driveway. The alleged victim
advised police the vehicles
were unlocked and no forced
entry was made. A canvas of
the surrounding area did not
turn up any relevant information
from neighbors.
Editor’s note: The Tinley Park
Junction’s police reports come
from the Tinley Park Police
Department. Anyone listed in
these reports is considered to
be innocent of all charges until
proven guilty in a court of law.
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FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT
Three men, one juvenile
charged in string of
burglaries
Three men and one juvenile
reportedly were apprehended
near the Village
Commons the morning of
Jan. 15 in connection with a
string of burglaries in New
Lenox and neighboring
communities.
A public works employee
who was plowing the streets
observed the four checking
on cars around 4 a.m. near
Old Plank Trail Community
Bank and called the police,
according to New Lenox
Police Deputy Chief Louis
Alessandrini. When authorities
responded to the area, all
four fled, he said.
One was found hiding in
an unlocked vehicle; two
were found hiding in bushes;
and the other was caught as
he was running across Route
30 — all in a short amount of
time, Alessandrini said.
Omar Ali, 22, of Harvey;
Tyler Cupit, 21, of Dolton;
and Abullah Mansurmasa,
20, of Calumet City, each
were charged with possession
of a stolen car and
burglary to a motor vehicle.
The juvenile, who is from
Harvey, was released to his
family and will be petitioned
to court at a later time, Alessandrini
said.
Alessandrini said the four
traveled to New Lenox in
a car that was stolen out of
Highland Park. Inside the
vehicle, police reportedly
found items that were connected
to car burglaries from
New Lenox and other towns
over several days.
“In this particular case,
we’re very fortunate that
our public works employee
was observant and gave the
police a call,” Alessandrini
said. “We encourage all residents
to give us a call if they
see something fishy, even if
it turns out to be nothing.”
Reporting by James Sanchez,
Editor. For more, visit
NewLenoxPatriot.com.
FROM THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE
Faith United Methodist
presents first of safety
training series
This winter, Faith United
Methodist Church of Orland
Park is opening its doors for
a series of Church Safety &
Disaster Preparedness Training,
aimed to help its congregation
— and members of
the community — gain skills
to put to use in any number
of emergency situations.
On Jan. 17, the first of
these classes — two additional
courses are slated to
be offered later in the season
— was presented in two
parts. Orland Park Police
Deputy Chief Joe Mitchell
led a session on church
safety and, later, members
of Faith United Methodist’s
own Emergency Response
Team led a session on Disaster
Preparedness Training.
It can be tough to engage
in conversations about active
shooters and bomb threats,
but Mitchell explained the
importance of “what if”
thinking and developing response
plans to such horrible
scenarios.
“We’re going to talk a
bit about the background of
what’s going on in houses of
worship, active shooter situations
that occur, and how to
build and maintain site security,”
he said before his presentation.
“I have a manual
that I will hand out about
dealing with bomb threats,
Please see NFYN, 10