Steve Petrilli

The Town of Normal on Monday approved a new Records Management System ahead of McLean County government, and soon after the Bloomington City Council took the same action last month.

Another approved use of money is to replace an aging electronic record management system that integrates information for the courts, law enforcement, and other McLean County stakeholders. There has been a lot of unhappiness about that project too.

Law enforcement in Bloomington-Normal say they will be watching for anything that could disrupt voting or vote counting on Tuesday, election day.

Normal Police Chief Steve Petrilli says town staff is making revisions to a proposed ordinance to regulate pop-up parties, after a zero-tolerance policy the town proposed got lots of push back from the public.

The Normal Police Department is set to receive a $750,000 federal grant that will allow six new officers to be hired.

Normal Police Chief Steve Petrilli acknowledged that he carried a loaded handgun in a bag through a pre-check security screening at Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington. The chief said he wants to turn a mistake into a teachable moment for his department.

At the meeting, the four police leaders from McLean County stressed the need for stringent checks in officer hiring, proper training to ensure safety, and corresponding with the community.

Police chief Steve Petrilli said the rise in thefts and car burglaries reflects a rise in crimes of opportunity and he said the trend in manageable.

WGLT spoke with Normal Police Chief Steve Petrilli about staffing challenges, the department’s new license plate reading cameras, new police dog Olive, and more.