In the wake of “teen takeovers” in Naperville and the Chicago area, the Naperville Police Department is urging teens to refrain from disruptive activity when gathering together.
Law enforcement said that while coming together with friends is not inherently an issue, some large gatherings, organized using social media, have become disorderly, with some fights breaking out and traffic flow being affected.
“That’s where they become problematic, and that’s where we have to shift our strategy of, ‘Hey, this is a group of kids having a good time,’ to ‘All right. Now we’re starting to see some, whether it’s traffic laws or criminal laws broken, and then we add a layer of accountability from us into that,” said Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres.
Parents urged to keep an eye on children
The cautioning comes a few weeks after four juveniles were arrested for battery during a teen takeover in downtown Naperville on March 30 that involved about 300 people, according to the NPD. Arres noted that some of these events have included children as young as 12 years old.
He urged parents to keep a watchful eye on their children and their whereabouts, and advised students to think before they act.
“Remember that decisions you make on the bad side have consequences and accountability to those that could potentially affect your future. So just be smart about what you’re doing and how you’re acting when you’re out in public,” said Arres.
NPD stresses no tolerance for disruptive behavior
In a Facebook post days after the teen takeover, the NPD announced it would have an increased presence in the downtown area going into the warmer months.
And Arres emphasized there will be no tolerance for any type of illegal activity.
“We will be out there in heavy numbers. If there’s a big gathering, we’ll shift our resources to those areas, and we’ll make sure that it’s safe for everyone. And if it’s not, as I mentioned, we will hold those that are violating laws again, whether it’s criminal laws or traffic laws, accountable,” he said.
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!