Latest news with #Arres
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Naperville's India Day Festival reduced to parade only due to security requirements
The annual India Day Festival & Concert, which for years has brought large crowds to Naperville, will be scaled back this year, organizers have announced. Usually a day-long affair featuring live entertainment and a cultural festival at Naperville's Rotary Hill, the free event will be reduced to only a parade when held Aug. 10, organizers said in a Facebook post. The decision to curtail festivities was attributed to heightened costs and reduced funding, the post said. Presented by Indian Community Outreach, the festival commemorates Aug. 15, 1947, the day India won its freedom from British rule. Launched in 2015, the event has grown into one of the largest Indian American festivals of its kind across the country, according to Krishna Bansal, event founder and organizer. Cost increases were partly the result of new city-mandated security requirements, Bansal said. Namely, requirements mandating the use of fencing around the perimeter of the event and metal detectors at controlled entry and exit points and dictating that attendees could bring only clear bags onto the grounds, he said. Implementing those rules would have taken a 'mammoth amount of effort,' Bansal said. '(It would) take a huge amount of resources as well as cost to do that.' Sponsors primarily fund the festival, he said. Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said the security requirements aren't really new. Rather, they're 'something we've really been pushing towards for the past few years and are finally getting traction,' he said. It's a matter of public safety, Arres said. 'Outdoor events are big, big targets for those looking to do bad things,' he said, 'and they're increasingly vulnerable to mass violence. … (These recommendations) keep these events safe and actually can deter threats before they can occur.' They're also in line with what other large-scale events in town — Last Fling and Halal Fest, for instance — have been doing for a number of years, Arres said. 'We're not asking them (to do) anything different than any other progressive agencies and cities are doing because these are the best practices for these big-scale events,' he said. Asked if Indian Community Outreach plans to bring back the event in full in the future, Bansal said, 'We are not looking to cancel the event.' It's just a matter of how and where it will move forward, he said. They want to continue holding the event in Naperville but if doing so isn't feasible, 'we'll have to look around and see where we can do this effectively,' he said. 'This event is immensely popular,' he said. 'People want to have this event. We will continue with what we have built.' Changes to the festival follow last month's announcement that there would be no Naperville Salute this summer. The annual Fourth of July celebration, also held at Rotary Hill, was canceled to preserve the long-term health of both the event and the charitage organization behind it, organizers said. It was scheduled to take place from June 27-29 but now only the Naperville Responds for Veterans Ruck March will be held. Both cancellations come in the wake of Naperville Ribfest, another of the city's longstanding summer celebrations, permanently ending last year. tkenny@
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville's India Day Festival reduced to parade only due to security requirements
The annual India Day Festival & Concert, which for years has brought large crowds to Naperville, will be scaled back this year, organizers have announced. Usually a day-long affair featuring live entertainment and a cultural festival at Naperville's Rotary Hill, the free event will be reduced to only a parade when held Aug. 10, organizers said in a Facebook post. The decision to curtail festivities was attributed to heightened costs and reduced funding, the post said. Presented by Indian Community Outreach, the festival commemorates Aug. 15, 1947, the day India won its freedom from British rule. Launched in 2015, the event has grown into one of the largest Indian American festivals of its kind across the country, according to Krishna Bansal, event founder and organizer. Cost increases were partly the result of new city-mandated security requirements, Bansal said. Namely, requirements mandating the use of fencing around the perimeter of the event and metal detectors at controlled entry and exit points and dictating that attendees could bring only clear bags onto the grounds, he said. Implementing those rules would have taken a 'mammoth amount of effort,' Bansal said. '(It would) take a huge amount of resources as well as cost to do that.' Sponsors primarily fund the festival, he said. Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said the security requirements aren't really new. Rather, they're 'something we've really been pushing towards for the past few years and are finally getting traction,' he said. It's a matter of public safety, Arres said. 'Outdoor events are big, big targets for those looking to do bad things,' he said, 'and they're increasingly vulnerable to mass violence. … (These recommendations) keep these events safe and actually can deter threats before they can occur.' They're also in line with what other large-scale events in town — Last Fling and Halal Fest, for instance — have been doing for a number of years, Arres said. 'We're not asking them (to do) anything different than any other progressive agencies and cities are doing because these are the best practices for these big-scale events,' he said. Asked if Indian Community Outreach plans to bring back the event in full in the future, Bansal said, 'We are not looking to cancel the event.' It's just a matter of how and where it will move forward, he said. They want to continue holding the event in Naperville but if doing so isn't feasible, 'we'll have to look around and see where we can do this effectively,' he said. 'This event is immensely popular,' he said. 'People want to have this event. We will continue with what we have built.' Changes to the festival follow last month's announcement that there would be no Naperville Salute this summer. The annual Fourth of July celebration, also held at Rotary Hill, was canceled to preserve the long-term health of both the event and the charitage organization behind it, organizers said. It was scheduled to take place from June 27-29 but now only the Naperville Responds for Veterans Ruck March will be held. Both cancellations come in the wake of Naperville Ribfest, another of the city's longstanding summer celebrations, permanently ending last year.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Naperville police say there will be ‘zero tolerance' for lawbreaking after large teen groups gather downtown
There will be a heavy police presence in downtown Naperville throughout the summer after two large group gatherings over the weekend yielded numerous citations and two arrests, authorities say. 'We'll be there to protect everybody's right to assemble and have a great night or day or whatever it is — lawfully,' Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said. 'It's when people start to become unlawful that we aren't going to have a tolerance for that.' Friday night, Naperville officers responded to a gathering of as many as 200 teens and young adults in areas of the city's downtown, police said in a Facebook post. Police were aware of the gathering ahead of time after seeing it advertised on social media and nearly 20 officers were assigned ahead of time to patrol the area, Arres said. While it was advertised to start at 4 p.m., activity didn't pick up until after 8 or 8:30 p.m. and everything started to 'bubble up' after 9 p.m., he said. When disruptive behavior started, police began issuing citations, Arres said. Officers observed people flashing hand signals at police, some of which appeared to be gang signs, and groups blocked sidewalks and interrupted traffic flow, he said. In all, about 20 citations were issues, according to Arres. A 15-year-old girl from Aurora was charged with three felony counts of aggravated battery to a police officer and misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, littering and obstruction, police said. The situation started with an alleged incident of littering but devolved into her allegedly putting her hands on an officer, Arres said. The second gathering took place Saturday night. Arres described it as a 'street takeover,' with more than 100 people congregating in a parking lot on the northeast side of the city. There were 'numerous, numerous vehicles' doing burnouts and doughnuts around the lot, he said, and people setting off fireworks. Police were not aware of Saturday's gathering ahead of time but coordinated a 'large police response to that area' after being notified just after midnight, Arres said. Officers issued nearly 20 traffic tickets for multiple city ordinance violations, he said. Raymond Howard Zegers, 20, of McHenry, was arrested Sunday after an investigation allegedly connected him to several crimes committed during the meet-up, police said. Zegers was charged with reckless driving, reckless conduct, criminal damage to property and mob action. No weapons were observed at either gathering, according to the police chief. Gatherings like those from over the weekend aren't new. Several police officers were dispatched to downtown Naperville in August 2023 to break up a large gathering of about 150 people. The gatherings also are not unique to Naperville. So-called 'teen takeovers' have become commonplace in Chicago's downtown in neighborhoods over the past few years. Arres emphasized that Naperville police will have 'zero tolerance for unlawfulness,' he said. 'We want people of all ages to have a great time and enjoy all the amenities that our downtown has to offer,' he said. 'But if you're going to come down and create issues and problems, you will be held accountable. That word will get out that Naperville is enforcing all the laws as we are tasked to do.' The Chicago Tribune's Rebecca Johnson contributed. tkenny@
Chicago Tribune
21-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville police say there will be ‘zero tolerance' for lawbreaking after large teen groups gather downtown
There will be a heavy police presence in downtown Naperville throughout the summer after two large group gatherings over the weekend yielded numerous citations and two arrests, authorities say. 'We'll be there to protect everybody's right to assemble and have a great night or day or whatever it is — lawfully,' Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said. 'It's when people start to become unlawful that we aren't going to have a tolerance for that.' Friday night, Naperville officers responded to a gathering of as many as 200 teens and young adults in areas of the city's downtown, police said in a Facebook post. Police were aware of the gathering ahead of time after seeing it advertised on social media and nearly 20 officers were assigned ahead of time to patrol the area, Arres said. While it was advertised to start at 4 p.m., activity didn't pick up until after 8 or 8:30 p.m. and everything started to 'bubble up' after 9 p.m., he said. When disruptive behavior started, police began issuing citations, Arres said. Officers observed people flashing hand signals at police, some of which appeared to be gang signs, and groups blocked sidewalks and interrupted traffic flow, he said. In all, about 20 citations were issues, according to Arres. A 15-year-old girl from Aurora was charged with three felony counts of aggravated battery to a police officer and misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, littering and obstruction, police said. The situation started with an alleged incident of littering but devolved into her allegedly putting her hands on an officer, Arres said. The second gathering took place Saturday night. Arres described it as a 'street takeover,' with more than 100 people congregating in a parking lot on the northeast side of the city. There were 'numerous, numerous vehicles' doing burnouts and doughnuts around the lot, he said, and people setting off fireworks. Police were not aware of Saturday's gathering ahead of time but coordinated a 'large police response to that area' after being notified just after midnight, Arres said. Officers issued nearly 20 traffic tickets for multiple city ordinance violations, he said. Raymond Howard Zegers, 20, of McHenry, was arrested Sunday after an investigation allegedly connected him to several crimes committed during the meet-up, police said. Zegers was charged with reckless driving, reckless conduct, criminal damage to property and mob action. No weapons were observed at either gathering, according to the police chief. Gatherings like those from over the weekend aren't new. Several police officers were dispatched to downtown Naperville in August 2023 to break up a large gathering of about 150 people. The gatherings also are not unique to Naperville. So-called 'teen takeovers' have become commonplace in Chicago's downtown in neighborhoods over the past few years. Arres emphasized that Naperville police will have 'zero tolerance for unlawfulness,' he said. 'We want people of all ages to have a great time and enjoy all the amenities that our downtown has to offer,' he said. 'But if you're going to come down and create issues and problems, you will be held accountable. That word will get out that Naperville is enforcing all the laws as we are tasked to do.'
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Naperville sees crime drop across the board in 2024
Crime was down across the board in Naperville last year compared to 2023, according to statistics released by the Naperville Police Department. However, Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres wants to emphasize the crime has stayed relatively consistent over the past three years, he said. 'Obviously, I'm going … say, 'Hey, I love the fact that crime is down.' That's the trend we want to see,' he said. 'But I'm also conscientious that it's not (by) astronomical numbers.' The police department breaks down annually reported crime data into three categories: property crimes, personal crimes and crimes against society. Property crime was down slightly last year, dropping to 2,487 incidents from 2,599 in 2023 — a difference of about 112 cases. That's after rising 192 incidents between 2022 and 2023. Personal crime, which police measure by the number of victims not incidents, there were 167 fewer people victimized in 2024 than in 2023, with reported crimes totaling 1,000 last year. From 2022 to 2023, personal crime changed by less than a percent. There were 369 reported crimes against society last year, down 42 incidents from 2023. That's after a year-to-year decline of 185 incidents from 2022 to 2023. 'I like it when I see massive, massive drops,' Arres said. 'And I don't like it if it was a massive, massive raise. We're very consistent. … These numbers are pretty consistent across the board, and there's not a ton of anomalies.' Police also track traffic crash data. Last year, there were 2,791 crashes that did not result in injury, 457 that had injuries and eight crash-related fatalities, data shows. Crashes were up by 445 incidents over 2023. Traffic crashes in 2024 were also the highest they have been since 2019. To prevent crashes, Arres stressed that 'safety is a partnership.' 'The responsibility really falls on the person that's in the driver's seat of a car. … So, yes, police have a super important role in traffic safety, but that's enforcing the law,' he said. 'What we really need as a community and as a society as a whole is for people to follow the traffic laws.' While contextualizing crime statistics, Arres said the department switched to the Federal National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) in 2022. The system they used previously kept track of only the most serious crimes whereas NIBRS tallies every single crime in its official data, he said. 'We're kind of starting on a clean sheet of music, so to speak. … We only have three years of a baseline,' Arres said. Most recent data, which police published in late February, shows that property offenses accounted for about 64% of Naperville's total reported crime in 2024. These are mostly cases of fraud, theft and vandalism, police say. Theft made up nearly half of all property crimes reported. Most notably, shoplifting increased to 430 incidents last year, up 47 from 383 reports in 2023. Motor vehicle theft also rose slightly, from 81 incidents in 2023 to 94 in 2024, data shows. These incidents have been on the rise since 2022, largely due to a social media trend that gave people step-by-step instructions on how to steal Kias and Hyundais through videos posted to platforms such as TikTok, Arres said. That said, he noted that of the 94 reports of motor vehicle theft last year, a third were attempts and only about half involved a forced entry. 'We could have lowered that number … had we just locked our cars,' he said. Another property crime that hit residents particularly hard last year was fraud. Naperville residents reported losing nearly $5.5 million to scammers in 2024, a sum authorities have said is a dramatic increase from previous years. For personal crimes, the largest year-to-year difference was in reports of intimidation, which dropped from 355 in 2023 to 155 in 2024. Intimidation is when someone places another person in 'reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words and/or other conduct, but without displaying a weapon or subjecting the victim to actual physical attack,' NIBRS offense definitions state. Asked about the decline in cases of intimidation, Arres said, 'We're still doing a deeper dive on the data to figure out possibly what the reason behind that is.' As for crimes against society, drug/narcotic violations totaled 231 last year, down 20 from 251 violations in 2023. Weapon law violations were also down, dropping from 116 in 2023 to 91 in 2024. Speaking to the latter, Arres said that while weapon violations 'still grab headlines,' people are 'catching wind of how proactive we are, so it's eliminating that crime of opportunity. … I think it speaks to the job that our men and women do on a daily basis by proactively getting out there and enforcing the laws.' tkenny@
