Community Service Officers Get Contract Extension in Oak Park

As reported by the Chicago Tribune, Oak Park trustees have voted to approve a three-year contract extension with the police department's community service officers.

The contract, which expired at the end of 2012, was unanimously approved to carry through Dec. 31, 2015.

Police Chief Rick Tanksley called the officers, "the unsung heroes of the police department."

Community service officers in Oak Park provide services that would otherwise have to be done by the department's police officers. Tasks include, taking minor reports, fingerprinting, working on parking and code enforcement and even caring for stray animals. They are often the first person the public speaks with when contacting the police department by answering telephones.

The contract didn't change much from the previous agreement, Village Manager Cara Pavlicek told the Tribune. The officers will receive a 2.5 percent increase in pay in 2013 and none in 2014 or 2015. They are, however, eligible for 1.25 percent pay-for-performance incentives each year.

To read the full story on the Chicago Tribune, click here.

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