GLEN ELLYN – Police are investigating a large disturbance in Glen Ellyn after hundreds of teenagers crowded Sunset Pool on Saturday, forcing the park district to close the facility early.
According to the Glen Ellyn Police Department, officers were dispatched to the pool, located in the 400 block of Fairview Avenue, shortly before 5 p.m., after reports of a crowd of 200 to 300 teens began to gather.
Police say many teenagers entered without paying, and some were allegedly smoking cannabis, drinking alcohol, and setting off fireworks.
Parents who were at the pool with their children told WGN-TV that some teenagers were playing inappropriate music on loud portable speakers.
Witnesses told WGN-TV that the lines of young people waiting to enter were massive. Some people jumped a fence and opened the gate for others.
Staff had to close the pool early due to an overwhelming crowd and unruly behavior. According to police, evacuating the park required the assistance of several police departments.
Bystanders captured video of the moment a pool manager was pushed into the lap pool. A young man is seen helping her out of the water, while others laugh.
John Horist, who had visited the pool earlier in the day, described the situation as unusual for the quiet west suburban community.
“Glen Ellyn is a really quiet town. I have been talking to the parents and some of the kids today, and they are all pretty freaked out,” Horist said.
A social media post urged followers to “bring 31st Beach to the burbs,” instructing teens to meet at Centennial Beach in Naperville. Naperville police say officers were on the beach just in case, but there was no disturbance.
It is unclear whether the incident at Sunset Pool was related to the teen takeover planned for Naperville.
According to retired Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel, agencies must stay on top of social media because that is where many of the “teen takeovers” are organized.
“When it is happening in the city, they do a really good job of moving people out, well they are going to come out to the suburbs,” Weitzel told the crowd.
“They post everything on Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram, so you can see it all. In some cases, this is not surprising, but agencies are not keeping up with social media monitoring, so they may be caught off guard.”
He also claims that it eliminates a challenge for law enforcement regarding what steps they can take, forcing officers to tread a fine line.
“It is extremely difficult because no police officer or agency wants to be the next YouTube video. You can not just go in there and arrest every single teenager, push them around, and force them to leave,” Weitzel said. “So you have to respond, and smaller suburban agencies must seek cooperation from their neighbors. You have to go in, clear it out, and sometimes they will move on to the next location, which they will publicize.”
Weitzel believes that as these takeovers become more common, any suburban police department that serves a community with a skatepark, pool, or downtown area should prepare to respond and monitor social media in order to stay ahead of the game.
“When people are starting to get injured and there is violence taking place, then the police do have to step it up and start to make arrests – physical arrests – not just citations,” Weitzel pointed out.
“You have to start taking these kids into custody because it is a different level than simply going there and posting it on social media. When it becomes violent, the police must act differently.
The Glen Ellyn Park District issued the following statement about the incident:
“On July 5, we decided to close Sunset Pool early due to several individuals’ disruptive and unsafe behavior, including violations of Park District ordinances. We collaborated closely with Glen Ellyn Police and other agencies to ensure that the facility was safely cleared.
The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority. We are especially grateful to the Sunset Pool staff for their quick thinking and professionalism in dealing with the situation.”
Glen Ellyn police arrested one person for illegally using fireworks. The investigation is ongoing.
