Orland Park ordinance gives police options on how to handle CCL violations

ORLAND PARK, Ill. - Orland Park has a new ordinance targeting concealed carry gun owners who wander into the wrong place.

In the past five years, there have been seven arrests in the south suburban village for concealed carry violations.

Mayor Keith Pekau says this new ordinance isn't a get out jail free card but it gives police discretion to decide how to handle the gun owner.

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The officer has the option of giving a verbal warning, writing a municipal ticket, or taking the violator to jail.

Without this ordinance, a CCL carrier who went into a prohibited area armed could have their license revoked.

Some gun advocates believe the village should follow the state laws. Pekau sees it differently.

"The police officer would have three options. One is to just give you a verbal warning, please return it to your car," Pekau said. "Another option would be to write you a municipal ticket and in that case you would go to our municipal hearing, which happens I think twice a month. Or they could actually arrest you and it's a Class B misdemeanor and put you into the Cook County Court System."

Criminal Justice Instructor Mike Brown questions why Orland Park would need the ordinance in the first place.

"I don’t know what the purpose of this would even be because police officers have discretionary authority on what they choose to enforce," said Brown.

Brown questions how the new ordinance is implemented and who will be impacted by it.

"There were 7 times they arrested someone. Need we even go into who the arrestees were and the circumstances surrounding that. Did they push the officer’s buttons?  Was it politically motivated?" asked Brown.

The fine for CCL violators is $150 to $1,000 per violation. The violations aren't reported to state conceal carry permit regulators.