Tinley Mayor's Actions 'Misguided' In Party Bus Incident: Report

TINLEY PARK, IL — An ethics investigation has concluded that Mayor Jacob Vandenberg's actions were "inappropriate and misguided" but not criminal when he moved traffic cones and yelled "Mayor coming through" as he directed the party bus he was on past Tinley Park police after a summer concert at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, the Daily Southtown reports. A complaint by a village resident into the events following the Paul McCartney concert July 26 prompted the independent investigation by an Itasca law firm.

According to the Oct. 20 report by attorney Charles Hervas of Hervas, Condon & Bersani, Vandenberg's behavior was "borderline reckless" but didn't violate the Illinois Criminal Code's Office Misconduct Provision, the Southtown reports. The resident's complaint alleged that the mayor resisted police and used his office to receive special treatment, the report added.

In police department memos, officers directing traffic after the July concert admitted to stopping other vehicles in order to let the party bus Vandenberg was riding on to pass through, the report stated. Police also said the mayor exited the bus and moved traffic cones out of the vehicle's path while shouting, "I'm the mayor," the report added.

An auxiliary police officer wrote in a memo that Vandenberg was almost hit several times while outside the bus, the report stated. Hervas also wrote in his findings that Vandenberg "placed himself and the public at risk by his careless and ill-advised conduct," the report added.

Vandenberg told Hervas that he did indeed make comments about being mayor to the officers directing traffic, but he meant them humorously, the report stated. The mayor said he got off the bus because he was tired of waiting for traffic to move, and he and his wife wanted to get home quickly because of the babysitter waiting for them, the report added.

In hindsight, Vandenberg told Hervas he would stay on the bus if he had to repeat things, the report stated. He also confessed to using "poor judgment" that night when it came to his actions, the report added.

Hervas reached his findings after interviewing not only Vandenberg but also the resident who filed the complaint, police officers and village employees.

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Mayor Jacob Vandenberg (Photo via Patch archive)