Something needs to be done about the Orland Park pool

The place is turning in to skank-ville, and I hate to say that because I love the pool and have been a member for years.

There are people coming to the pool that shouldn't be there. And it's not a shocker that there is an increase of thefts taking place. Like the other day when a friend looked up from the pool and saw a woman walking away with her pool bag. At first she thought it was a person with the same bag but she quickly realized this lady -- a skank -- was walking through the pool area ripping people off.

My wife and son were at the pool the other day and this skank lady and her sad son decided to plop themselves down on their lawn chairs while they were sitting in them. And when my wife asked her what she was doing, she said she wanted to sit down there. "Got a problem?" Yea, I have a problem lady.

People who steal from others do just that, plop down on your sitting area and steal your belongings.

When you can't even feel safe with your property at the pool, that's about the time when you have to start wondering what the hell is happening at the pool. Skank-ville.

How about this. Ban non-residents from using the pool. Restrict the daily fee entrance even more. By the time a family of five pays for everyone to buy a day-pass, they might as well kick in the few extra bucks and buy a family membership.

And, maybe the village should put some undercover police or security working the pool so when we catch one of these crooks, we make an example of them.

The village needs to toughen up the dress code, and not only warn pool goers that they should put their valuables in lockers or not bring them at all, but to also warn that anyone caught stealing will face a stiff penalty. It's not the vale of the object stolen that is the issue. The issue is that you have to worry about your belongings because so care-less skank is wandering around trying to rip the place off.

Implement a No Skank policy. Ban the skanks. Or watch the pool turn into a ghetto.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

Sources: repair of an old car may be involved in killing of Orland Park man

Police are investigating the murder of Lockport resident Ibrahim Nofal, 28, who was reported missing Tuesday July 13. Nofal operated an auto repair shop at 15563 S. 70th Court in Orland Park.

Nofal's body was discovered Saturday morning by hikers in Pilcher Park in Joliet. The coroner confirmed his identity early Tuesday.

A video shows a silver or gray 1996 to 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee pulling in to Nofal's shop around 6:30 pm last week. It drove away a short time later. Orland Park police, according to reports, believe Nofal was in the car.

Details on the murder are sketchy and his family and relatives are in shock. Services have been held for him at the local mosques.

Sources are saying that it is possible that there was a disagreement involving the repair of a vehicle that Nofal had sold to a customer, but there is no confirmation. Police have declined to speculate on the reason for the apparent kidnapping or the cause of death which remains under investigation.

Police are asking if anyone knows any information on the death to call Orland Park police at 708-349-4111, Joliet Police at 815-724-3100 or the Will County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-323-6734. The family has offered a $50,000 reward for information on his whereabouts.

Reports say the reward may be increased in light of his death, and to anyone who provides information leading  to the arrest of the individual or individuals involved.

END

Zabrocki had warned Arab businessmen they have have been targeted

Many months ago, Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki had warned several high profile American Arabs who live in Tinley Park that they should alert the community that there was police information that Chicago store owners of Arab heritage might be the targets of thieves.

That came true this week when six gunmen broke in to the Tinley Park home of store owner Abbas Darwish. Darwish live son the 9100 block of Basswood drive in a 4,000 square foot mansion. He owns and operates DIA Food & Liquor in Morgan Park on Chicago's South Side.

Zabrocki had said that reports had surfaced that the Arab grocers might be targeted not in their stores, where they often prepare against theft as do most other small grocery store owners, but in their driveways upon return to their homes late at night after work.

There are about 150 small and medium-sized grocery stores owned by American Arabs in the Chicago area, many in the inner city and African American community.

On Wednesday, around 4 am as Darwish and his wife and children were sleeping,t he six suspects broke in to the home and pistol whipped Darwish demanding his money from the store.

Police arrested two of the suspects as helicopters and SWAT teams were brought in to hunt down the heavily armed gunmen. Zabrocki and the Tinley Park Police don't mess around and are tough on crime and protecting their community.

Zabrocki said that Darwish had been targeted and the suspects might have followed him home from his business.

Residents of Tinley Park and School District 135 were alerted to the home invasion early Wednesday morning. District 135 schools were placed in a "soft loack-down" meaning that children remained in classrooms. The manhunt for the four remaining suspects was called off in the early afternoon after police concluded they had fled the area.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

Orland Park Mall continues to have security problems ... and no one seems to care

This letter was sent to me -- and has been published in some local newspapers. It's pathetic how this woman was apparently mistreated when her wallet was stolen from the Children's Play Area near Penny's in the Orland Park Shopping Mall. (One of the advantages of all the huge retail magnets we have here that NO ONE in government is willing ot talk about. But why should they. We're a "Happy Talk" community and rated among -- dropping almost off -- the top 100 communities according to Money Magazine. Doesn't everyone read Money Magazine?

LETTER:

On April 30, my wallet was stolen from the children's play area of Orland Square Mall.

I contacted mall security and they told me I had to contact Orland Park police to file a report. I asked if the area was under video surveillance and security told me no.

Once OP police arrived I was given a report number. I told the officer that the girl walked through JC Penny's, and I could identify her. He told me there was nothing he could do, and that I should check the women's restroom garbage cans for my wallet. Then I proceeded to beg a manager in Penny's to let me view their video cameras so I could identify the girl and see what car she got into. The manager said it happened on mall property and not in their store, so the camera can't be reviewed -- even though the play area is just outside Penny's.

So, basically, video cameras are for the benefit of the store and not ours, the shoppers' sake. At almost 38 weeks pregnant, I felt totally violated and helpless because nobody was willing to help.

I write this letter to inform all of you that we are not safe or protected at Orland Mall and probably at most stores we frequent. This will happen again, and I'm sure these crimes go unreported. The children's area should also be under video surveillance. What if a child is abducted????

Please pass this around to ANYONE you know that shops there. Thanks for helping spread the word!!

Eileen