Naperville teen takeover leads to 9 arrests: 'No second chances'

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Nine people were arrested and nearly three dozen citations were issued after large groups of mostly teens gathered in downtown Naperville on Monday evening.

Naperville teen takeover

The backstory:

The gathering began around 5 p.m. June 1 along the Washington Street corridor between Chicago and Van Buren avenues. Anticipating large crowds, the Naperville Police Department deployed multiple teams of officers throughout the downtown area to deter criminal activity and maintain public safety.

Five juveniles were arrested during the event. Charges included battery, assault, obstructing identification, criminal trespass to state-supported land, illegal possession of cannabis, illegal possession of tobacco by a minor, disobeying a peace officer and interfering with a peace officer.

Among those arrested were a 17-year-old from Plainfield charged with battery, a 15-year-old from Bloomington charged with obstructing identification, a 17-year-old from Bolingbrook charged with battery, assault and drug-related offenses, a 17-year-old from Aurora charged with obstructing identification and criminal trespass, and a 17-year-old from Romeoville charged with disobeying and interfering with a peace officer.

Police also arrested four adults in connection with the gathering.

Amaree J. Bivens, 23, of Naperville, was arrested on four outstanding warrants and charged with obstructing a peace officer. Sudais Oyekanmi, 18, of Aurora, was arrested for obstructing identification. Marshun J. Smith, 18, of Romeoville, was arrested on a charge of attempted aggravated assault on a peace officer. Tyler L. Sims, 18, of Romeoville, was arrested for battery and obstructing a peace officer.

Authorities said the crowds were dispersed by roughly 11 p.m.

What they're saying:

"We’ve been very clear on our stance," Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said in a statement. "We want people to come to our city, patronize our businesses, and enjoy all the amenities Naperville has to offer. But if you break the law, there will be no warnings; there will be no second chances. We’ve tried that approach, and it was met with a lot of disrespect and lawlessness. So, as last night proved, we will not hesitate to make arrests and issue citations for breaking the law."

Arres said officers were prepared for the gathering after the teen takeover was advertised on social media and warned the public ahead of time that police would take a zero-tolerance approach to any illegal activity. He added he's disappointed with the way it ended up. 

"We proactively communicated ahead of time that we were going to have a zero-tolerance approach to this," Arres said. "We asked parents to speak to their children about this, about what being a good citizen means. Unfortunately, that message wasn't taken. We want people in the downtown. We want people to come spend their money there. We want kids to have a good time, but it needs to be lawful. And when you're not lawful, we will hold you accountable every time."

Arres said many residents thanked officers for preventing the gathering from escalating into the kinds of incidents that have occurred during similar events across the country.

"There was a lot of thanks from the residents that didn't want things to get out of control because I think we've all seen these teen takeovers get pretty nasty throughout the United States," Arres said. "And that's really disappointing, just from a societal standpoint, that we're not being respectful to each other as human beings."

As for long-term solutions, Arres said responsibility starts at home and suggested parents and social media companies both have a role to play.

"The biggest thing is this comes down to parenting," Arres said. "Parents need to have discussions with their kids about what being a good citizen looks like and being a good neighbor, being a good friend. I still think it goes back to that first point. It's got to start at home. Are these conversations being had? Do you know where your kid's going? Are you telling them what that good citizen looks like and getting them down that good path?"

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