Strong and thriving communities don’t just happen. They are carefully cultivated by the people who inhabit them. Citizen involvement in the future planning and governance of the Village is essential to creating a socially and economically viable community. In the Village of Olympia Fields, that involvement is embodied in its Board of Trustees, advisory boards, commissions, committees and homeowners’ associations, all of which comprise residents who are committed to seeing the Village flourish. Our new Village Focus column will introduce you to these groups and the work they do on behalf of Olympia Fields. Our goal is to not only educate but also encourage broader involvement among residents for the betterment of our Village.
In this issue, our focus is on the Village’s Homeowners’ Associations (HOAs). There are 15 HOAs in Olympia Fields—one for each subdivision. The HOAs actively promote the quality of life in their subdivisions and, by extension, the Village at-large. One of the most effective ways that HOAs can proactively work to improve and protect their subdivisions and residents is by participating in the Homeowners’ Association Liaison Officers (HALO) program, which fosters collaborative relationships between Village residents and the Olympia Fields Police Department (OFPD). Each HOA has an assigned OFPD officer.
HALO officers should be considered the first point of contact between residents and the OFPD for non-emergency, quality of life and minor law enforcement matters. A component of community policing, the HALO program is an effective vehicle for relationship building between the community and law enforcement. We strongly encourage HOAs to get to know their HALO officers. To that end, HOA leadership teams should consider inviting their HALO officer to their HOA meetings to meet residents and establish connections.
Sergeant Lawrence Smith oversees the Village’s HALO program. Contact him at 708-503-8100 with any questions. Go to https://www.olympia-fields.com/184/HALO-Program for a full list of HALO officers assigned to each HOA.
