Orland Park mayor outlines pilot for steady "cruise lights" on police cars

Orland Park Mayor Jim Dodge described a pilot program to test steady, nonflashing red-and-blue "cruise lights" on a limited number of police vehicles and asked residents to provide feedback.

"This week's question is, what are cruise lights?" Dodge said, explaining that "cruise lights are the steady, non flashing red and blue lights you may see on top of some Orland Park police vehicles." He said the lights are "designed to increase visibility, help deter crime, and make it easier to spot an officer if you need assistance."

Dodge cautioned that drivers should still pull over when they see flashing lights because that indicates an officer responding to an emergency or making a traffic stop. "If the lights are steady, there's no need to pull over, those are simply our cruise lights," he said. The mayor said the lights are part of a pilot, limited to a small number of squad cars in business districts and neighborhoods while the village evaluates how well the program works.

Residents who want to comment on the pilot were directed to call the Orland Park Police non-emergency number at (708) 349-4111. Dodge said the town "strongly encourage[s] you to let us know what you think" as officials consider the program's effectiveness.

The pilot's duration, metrics for evaluation, and any plans for wider rollout were not specified in the segment.