Robbins Police Department has a new contract

Village of Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant signs contract for the Robbins Police Department on Thursday, May 12. PHOTO PROVIDED BY SEAN HOWARD.
Village of Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant signs contract for the Robbins Police Department on Thursday, May 12. PHOTO PROVIDED BY SEAN HOWARD.

Robbins Police Department has a new contract

By Tia Carol Jones

Officers at the Village of Robbins Police Department have a new contract. The contract was signed on Thursday, May 12th. The contract includes a pay increase, as well as resources and equipment such as body cameras and tasers.

Police officers in Robbins were without a contract since 2020. Under the new contract, police officers will see a 40% increase in their pay, from $11 an hour to $16 an hour. They also will receive new ballistic vests, 28 body cameras and 28 tasers, which puts them in compliance of a State mandate for municipalities to have officers wear body cameras. The body camera mandate was part of HB 3653, the Criminal Justice Reform Bill known as the SAFE-T Bill, that was signed into law in 2021 and required Illinois Police Officers to have body cameras by 2025.

The Village also is getting 12 new 360-degree surveillance cameras, which Mayor Darren Bryant said will help the officers solve crimes. There are traffic calming devices in the form of speed humps and speedometers that have been installed throughout the community.

There are two new departments that have been established within the Robbins Police Department, a Juvenile Investigations Department and a Sex Offenders Unit. Fifteen mobile phones have been purchased for the officers, and the department is in the process of getting 10 new vehicles that will be equipped with laptops and other technology. Currently, officers in the Robbins Police Department do not have that technology in their vehicles.

“The Mayor and I assured our officers that we would fight to get an agreement done that would not only address their rate of pay but would also address the lack of resources that would keep them safe while performing their duties. It is these fundamental resources that they now will have that will enhance our mission of keeping Robbins safe,” Robbins Police Chief David Sheppard said in a release.

When the walkout first happened in October 2021, there were 11 officers. Since then, manpower has been increased to 28 officers. Bryant believes that with the new police contract, the department can attract new officers. The Village is currently using Blue Line to hire new officers to the department. Bryant pointed to the fact that the force has doubled in the last six months.

“The data is there, and people are coming and want to be a part of this change and this new administration under the new leadership of Chief Sheppard and the Mayor,” Bryant said.

Bryant believes the wrong leadership is the reason why police officers went two years without a new contract. Under his leadership, Bryant said there has been a renewed focus on public safety within the Village of Robbins.

Bryant has been Mayor of Robbins for a year. The Robbins Public Safety Strategy includes the police department, fire department and public works. Bryant wants to clear out the abandoned homes in the community. The Village purchased an ambulance, which means the community will have a more immediate response time.

“We’re ready to defend the streets from the ongoing violence that is not just plaguing Robbins but the Southland in general. We’re all aware of the gun violence that is going on, but I believe with this new contract, it brings a sense of morale back to our department that we’re ready to combat that,” Bryant said.

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