Police Union Says No-Confidence Vote Against Chief About 'Well-Documented' Issues, Not Contract Talks

TINLEY PARK, IL — Nearly two weeks after voicing their distrust in Tinley Park's police chief, police union leaders are saying it did not stem from ongoing contract negotiations.

Metropolitan Alliance of Police (MAP) President Keith R. George spoke out Monday against the Village's response to the vote of no confidence in Chief Thomas Tilton, saying officials are not grasping police the Tinley Park chapter's members' "loss of confidence in department leadership.

"Our decision to take this extraordinary step was made solely to address serious concerns with the leadership, culture, and operational integrity of the Tinley Park Police Department under Chief Tilton," said George. "This vote was not—and should not be conflated with—ongoing contract negotiations.

"By focusing their response on bargaining issues, the Village has avoided directly addressing the reasons for our members’ unprecedented loss of confidence in department leadership. This kind of misdirection does a disservice to the public and to the officers who serve this community every day."

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Earlier this month, dozens of Tinley Park police officers filed into a village board special meeting to cast a vote of no confidence in Tilton. They were led by retired Tinley Park patrol officer Ray Violetto, representative for the Metropolitan Alliance of Police Tinley Park Chapter #192. The vote, Violetto told Patch, was signed by all officers within the police department.

The vote came 15 months into contract talks with the Village — which have hit a wall and will soon move into interest arbitration.

The Village fired back—during the meeting and afterward—in defense of the department leader, also outlining swelling overtime costs surfaced by an audit among its issues during contract deliberations. Village officials called the vote of no confidence "unfounded," and cited the union's "unwillingness to compromise" as cause for the protracted negotiations. The audit report is set for review by the Village's Finance Committee on Aug. 19.

The vote of no confidence, George said Monday, is not linked to the status of contract negotiations.

"The Village has repeatedly tied the vote of no confidence to the status of labor negotiations," George said. "This connection is inaccurate and inappropriate. Concerns about mismanagement, breakdowns in supervision, unfair treatment of officers, and morale issues are independent of contract terms. Linking these distinct matters shifts attention away from genuine and well-documented problems in leadership that have eroded officer trust and departmental cohesion."

Both parties have leveled accusations, with the union citing "lack of direction, disregard for staff concerns, and inadequate or absent policy decisions" as the basis for its vote and a catalyst for a potential leadership change. Under Tilton, officers claim, the department has seen a "noticeable decline" in its reputation, impairing its ability to attract qualified applicants.

"Concerns regarding internal communication, leadership consistency, and morale have become known within the broader law enforcement community, contributing to a perception that the department may lack stability and long-term support," the vote document reads.

The Village, in its response, praised Tilton for his contributions as chief, saying he has "made significant strides attempting to fix bad and costly practices that have been going on for decades." It continued:

The Village Board and Village management fully support Chief Tom Tilton, and commend him for his tireless efforts to bring accountability to the department.

"Chief Tilton has over 40 years of law enforcement experience, which include protecting four presidents as a United States Secret Service special agent," Mayor Michael Glotz said. "We’re not only proud, but lucky to have such a qualified individual leading our police force and protecting the residents of Tinley Park."

The Village has said that an audit uncovered patterns of alleged overtime abuse that "have placed a substantial burden on Village resources and taxpayers.

"Every effort to manage within our rights of the contract has been met with grievances (more than 15 for the duration of the expired contract), which is contributing to the impasse and why the Village believes it necessary to work through these matters,” Village Manager Pat Carr said in the Village's statement. “While the Village maintains a healthy financial position, future financial planning demands we carefully review allocation of the resources we have. It is not financially sustainable to continue down the path we are headed if we want to keep our property taxes at a minimum to ensure a thriving community.”

George rebutted Carr's statement, accusing the Village of using regressive bargaining in negotiations.

"While the Village claims to have been negotiating 'in good faith' for more than 15 months, our bargaining experience tells a different story," George said. "The Village has repeatedly engaged in regressive bargaining—making proposals that move backward, withdrawing previously agreed-upon terms, or adding new concessions as conditions to already-discussed items."

Carr previously said that as contract talks continued in March 2025, union leaders rejected an offer that included "the highest four-year pay increase in the history of the department."

"... An offer exceeding increases that surrounding communities have received,” Village Manager Pat Carr said. “This offer was made in hopes of some compromises in other areas but was ultimately declined by the union.”

George called that statement "simply false."

"MAP accepted the outlined four-year wage schedule in good faith and without delay," George said.

He said the Village then allegedly "attached new conditions in other areas of the contract, effectively rolling back progress and tying wage approval to unrelated concessions.

"Our union members have dedicated their careers to serving and protecting Tinley Park’s residents. We remain committed to good-faith bargaining — but we will not remain silent when leadership misrepresents facts or shifts the narrative away from the serious leadership and operational concerns that led to the vote of no confidence."

The union called on village officials to "stop conflating unrelated issues, to bargain without regressive tactics, and to deal honestly and transparently with both our officers and the public."

In related news, the Village's Finance Committee meets Wednesday, and will review the audit completed on the Tinley Park Police Department's payroll. The committee meets at 5:30 p.m., in council chambers at Village Hall, 16250 S. Oak Park Ave.