Dixmoor upgrades surveillance technologies while awaiting Flock camera installations
The village is updating its surveillance system with eight new cameras and a drone to monitor crime. Four of those cameras will be replaced by Flock cameras in the near future, according to Dixmoor officials.
Surveillance technology upgrades are underway in Dixmoor, village officials announced at the Oct. 22 board meeting.
Police Chief Eric Armstrong said eight Axon surveillance cameras are being installed in the village, with four eventually to be replaced by Flock cameras with license plate-reading capabilities. He did not have the exact locations of the cameras at the time of the meeting. Armstrong said the police department is getting a price estimate for an additional camera to install at a site with frequent dumping.
The police department is also getting a drone with heat sensors for night use, village president Fitzgerald Roberts said. Squad cars will be equipped with computers to pick up alerts from the drones.
“The type of system that Dixmoor is gonna have out here is a state-of-the-art system,” Roberts said. “If it’s a shooting on Marshfield, all they do is just type it in a system, and the drone will beat them over there. They’ll be surveilling and taking footage before the police even make it there.”
Armstrong said he expects officers to complete drone training by the end of November.
Waste disposal updates
Code enforcement inspector Cleo Butler said the waste disposal will stop picking up tree branches, leaves, and other debris soon. He urged residents to reach out if they plan to put these items on their curbs. Residents can call (708) 389-6121 with questions.
Roberts added that residents with a lot to dispose of could save around $200 by contacting their garbage company and asking for a bulk truck instead of ordering a dumpster.
Grant spending updates
Economic development director John Thompson said that the village is completing use of their $112,500 grant for resurfacing the road on Lawson Lane. He expects the remaining funds to be expended by the Oct. 31 deadline so the village will be in good standing to apply again in the future.
The village obtained a $1 million grant for a new village hall and community center, and Thompson said they have begun spending funds to install new doors. The village received an additional $75,000 grant for the project and will be used to purchase properties on Joliet Ave., Thompson said.
Resident raises concern about absent treasurer
A resident asked about the village treasurer, Anthony McCaskill, and his frequent meeting absences during public comment.
“I’ve been here the last probably two months, three months. I’ve never seen the treasurer,” she said. “I think he was here when his son got promoted, but other than that, I ain’t seen him.”
Roberts replied that the treasurer should attend the meetings and that the meeting format has not changed to eliminate the treasurer’s report.
Bills lists fail to pass
Village clerk Juanita Darden submitted the September and October bills lists to the council. The September bills totaled $68,429.25, and the October bills totaled $203,682.74.
The motion to approve the bills list failed to pass. Trustee Judnita Smith said she voted against the bills because she had questions for the treasurer, but he was absent from the meeting.
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