Orland Park cops honored and defended

By Jeff Vorva

The Village of Orland Park hosted its police awards ceremony last week and, as usual, Mayor Keith Pekau expressed his gratitude for the job the police force does.

He also was irked by some comments he has seen online with negative comments on a post.

On Jan. 7, Orland police responded to a call in the 9200 block of Woodbury Lane and police found a subject with an Airsoft gun, which police said they thought was a real gun.

Police said they de-escalated the situation.

But some online posters were critical and mocking of the police.

“They have come under attack on this post,” Pekau said. “Let me tell you something, the cowards who posted this would have crapped themselves if they had a gun pointed at them. I want to thank our department and officers once again showing professionalism and restraint that again saved someone’s life.

“Someone was likely trying to get themselves killed. If you ever had a gun pointed at you, well, that’s what it looks like. They showed amazing restraint.”

Pekau also said attacks on the profession by the state has him concerned including the SAFE-T Act and Governor JB Pritzker threatening to fire those police personnel who do not enforce the recently passed Illinois gun ban.

“I want to make it perfectly clear that the board and I will have our officers’ backs and if the governor thinks he will have them fired, he will have to come through us to do so,” Pekau said.

During the Jan. 16 Committee of the Whole meeting, several Orland Park officers were recognized.

Tim O’Connell was sworn in as a sergeant while Shaun Mulcahy and Kamil Guzy were sworn in as officers.

Michael Benjamin was named Officer of the Year for 2022, Jamie Fahey was named Civilian of the Year and Officer Daniel Durling won a Life Saving medal for saving citizen Bernie Greenawalt.

According to Deputy Chief Brian West, on Sept. 19, Durling responded to a call about a man possibly having a heart attack and when Durling arrived at the house, Greenawalt was unresponsive on a couch.

Durling attached an automated external defibrillator and performed CPR until fire personnel arrived. Greenawalt was taken to a hospital and had a full recovery.

“He was my Christmas angel,” Greenawalt said after the award ceremony.

Officers Jan Krystyniak, Gonzalo Morales, Bruce Villanova, Nickolas Eyer and Jason Enguita won certificates of appreciation for exceptional Driving under the Influence enforcement.

Sergeant Casey Wall and Tactical Officers Tyler Lorek, Dave Hansen, Nate O’Connor, Alex Vainer, Benjamin and Dan Livingston were cited for Exceptional Service awards.

Wall, Lorek, O’Connor, Vainer, Benjamin, Livingston plus Officer Thomas Healy and Investigator David Staszak were given Grand Cordon awards for arrests for numerous criminal acts in the area.