The Tinley Park Police Department’s training facility, located in the 17300 block of 69th Avenue, is closing due to maintenance issues, officials announced. In response, the village is exploring plans to build a new gun range near the village police station. Meanwhile, officers will train at a state-of-the-art $10 million facility in neighboring Orland Park.
Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz expressed his preference for constructing the new training facility and gun range adjacent to the police station along 183rd Street. He noted that such a location, away from residential areas, would be more convenient for the police department. However, ideas for the new range remain conceptual, and no closing date for the current building has been set yet.
In the interim, Tinley Park has finalized an agreement to utilize Orland Park’s new 5,400-square-foot training facility at 10609 163rd Place, approximately three miles from Tinley Park’s border. This $10 million facility opened in July, offering modern amenities for police training.
Orland Park is granting Tinley Park access at half its usual fee, acknowledging Tinley Park’s past support by allowing Orland Park police to use its facility during construction. Payment will be based on the number of training hours Tinley Park purchases monthly and whether an Orland Park range officer is present.
– When no range officer is present, Tinley Park will pay $375 per hour for 32-hour blocks or $540 per hour for fewer than 32 hours.
– If a range officer is present, rates increase to $475 and $640 per hour, respectively.
Orland Park will provide weapons, ammunition, ear and eye protection, body armor, cleaning equipment, targets, and secure ammunition storage. However, Tinley Park will be responsible for any damaged property. Officers must also agree to the facility’s standard operating procedures before using it.
The agreement allows retired Tinley Park police officers to complete their annual concealed carry qualifications at the Orland Park facility as well.
“We are grateful for our good working relationship with Orland Park,” said Mayor Glotz. “This new space will provide our officers with the tools and technology to train more effectively and safely than ever before.”
The Orland Park facility boasts modern classrooms, advanced 25-yard live-fire lines, a cutting-edge virtual simulator, a tactics room with mats, a firearms cleaning room, and a break room. The facility was developed following a 2020 assessment which found the previous gun range too small and posing safety concerns.
Orland Park Police Commander Scott Lefko commented that since the facility’s opening this summer, “the feedback has been nothing but positive.”
According to Pat Carr, Tinley Park’s village manager, a start date for using the Orland Park facility has not yet been set.
The current Tinley Park training facility is closing after 59 years due to age, accumulating maintenance issues, and the department outgrowing the space. Mayor Glotz detailed the necessary repairs, including a new HVAC system estimated at $22,550, a new roof at $38,000, classroom renovations, new flooring, ceilings, lighting, and painting totaling $38,000, plus exterior work costing $85,000. Altogether, these repairs would amount to approximately $183,550.
“While there are many costs to bring the outdated range up to par, it still lacks the proper training environment our officers need and deserve,” Glotz said.
Furthermore, Carr noted that village officials have received feedback from residents expressing a need for additional downtown parking. The closure of the old training site could potentially free up space for this purpose, though no final decisions have been made.
“We are currently assessing the space needs of all village departments, and this is one of them,” Carr explained.
The training facility and firearms range slated to close was originally constructed in 1966 on land donated by Standard Oil. Over the decades, it has stood as a “cornerstone of training, tradition, and excellence,” a legacy village officials hope to honor moving forward.
In a statement regarding the closure, the Tinley Park Police Department reflected, “Generations of officers have honed their skills, forged friendships, and created memories that help shape our department’s history. Here’s to continuing the tradition of excellence and a new generation of friendships and memories. This is not just the end of an era, but the beginning of a new one.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/31/tinley-park-orland-park-police-training/
