Village Of Mokena, Mokena PD (Finally) Joining Social Media

MOKENA, IL — Better late than never, right?! It's been nearly 20 years since Facebook appeared and more than 10 years since Instagram debuted, forever changing the way people interact with each other. And on Wednesday, the Village of Mokena and the Mokena Police Department will finally have their own social media presence.

Village of Mokena Administrator John Tomasoski made the announcement during Monday's Mokena Village Board of Trustees meeting. The Village will have an Instagram account, while the Mokena PD will be over on Facebook. Both are set to launch Wednesday, Tomasoski said.

"Please 'like,' 'share,' 'follow,' share with your friends and neighbors. This is another way that we're going to communicate information on all kinds of events here through the PD and Village Hall to our customers, residents and businesses," Tomasoski said.

Mokena Police Interim Chief Brian Benton said the move to social media has been a long time coming, but he said that having a space on social media to engage with the public is something that is needed.

"I think we have to communicate with the public a little better than we have," Benton said. "There are a lot of other agencies that have been using (social media) successfully, and it just makes the public feel more in touch with the police department and with the community as a whole."

A committee of about five Mokena PD officers will maintain the Facebook page, Benton said.

The Village of Mokena Instagram account will be managed by Village Hall staff, and will be used for Village updates, reminders and general information, according to Village officials.

Benton said that he doesn't expect the Mokena PD Facebook page to be a real-time crime information source. People who need immediate assistance should still dial 9-1-1 or contact Mokena PD on the non-emergency line at (708) 479-3912.

To view the Mokena Police Department's Facebook page, click here. To view the Village of Mokena's Instagram account, click here.