Dolton business brunch: police and fire urge reporting, village unveils business directory and housing addendum timeline

Dolton — At a quarterly business brunch on June 1, Police Chief Chapman urged local business owners to call 911 whenever they see criminal activity and to use cameras and alarm systems that record footage and notify police immediately.

“All business owners have a responsibility that anytime there's any type of illegal activity occurring in and around your business, you have an obligation to call the police,” Chief Chapman said, encouraging owners to keep DVR recordings and configure alarm monitoring so police are alerted first.

The advice followed a discussion of summer‑season nuisances — loitering and panhandling near storefronts — that officials said can discourage customers. Chapman described how license‑plate readers and camera footage help investigators trace vehicles and identify suspects even when faces are concealed.

Fire Chief Pete McCain told the group the fire department conducts inspections and pre‑planning walkthroughs so firefighters are familiar with building layouts and hazards. “We're there as a friend. We're not there to ding you on anything,” McCain said, and said the department plans to revive a fire prevention handbook to distribute with permitting and welcome materials.

Darion West, who oversees the village’s licensing department, reminded business owners that renewal season is underway and urged them to submit applications early. West said the licensing team needs roughly three to four weeks for inspections and paperwork to complete a standard license application.

Trustee Norwood, who leads housing and youth efforts, said the village is implementing a crime‑free housing addendum to give landlords and the village a clearer process for responding to repeated tenant complaints. She said a D‑United housing program will release details next week with a tentative start date of June 15 and that a mandatory landlord meeting will be scheduled.

Organizers also announced a new online directory listing registered Dolton businesses on the village website and urged owners to check the listing; the host said the directory should appear within about 24 hours. Trustee Kiana Belchure convened the event to promote networking among small firms and to highlight upcoming events, including a Juneteenth pre‑expo on June 13.

Officials closed by reminding owners of Cook County resources that can reduce property tax burdens — including exemptions for vacant properties and some home‑based businesses — and to consult the county assessor or recorder of deeds for specifics.

The village said it will follow up with details about the housing program, the landlord meeting, the new business directory and the distribution of the planned fire prevention handbook.