Police prepare for possible large crowd at North Riverside Park Mall this weekend
NORTH RIVERSIDE, Ill. (CBS) -- Fear is mounting of a repeat of last weekend's teen takeover in the Loop, but in a different place this time – the North Riverside Park Mall in the western suburbs.
CBS 2's Tara Molina talked with North Riverside Village President Joseph Mengoni about the village's safety plans.
Mengoni said the village made proactive moves immediately. This means you can expect to see more police around the mall this weekend.
"We're going to be vigilant," he said.
Mengoni said North Riverside got "some intel from the Chicago Police Department" on threats of possible unrest Saturday not unlike what happened downtown last weekend. The incidents Saturday night amount to more than unrest – as 15 people were arrested, two teens were shot, and people were beaten by crowds.
"We're on it," Mengoni said, "and again, we won't tolerate what we saw happen down at Millennium Park - and we're going to keep our residents and our businesses safe."
Mengoni says the North Riverside Police Department issued a warning on Facebook - asking residents to keep a warning about the area in mind this weekend - before going business to business Thursday alerting them personally. The warning posted to Facebook read:
"The North Riverside Police Department has received intelligence that a social media post calling for people to gather at Urban Air in North Riverside starting at 4p.m. on Saturday. This media post is similar to the Millennium Park post from the incident in Chicago over the weekend.
"The North Riverside Police Department in conjunction with State and Local municipalities are coordinating preventative measures and a unified response to this gathering if it jeopardizes the safety of bystanders or businesses.
"We are asking North Riverside residents to keep this advisory in mind before making any plans to visit the affected area on Saturday. We will be providing updates to this advisory as needed."
"How they're getting messages out these days is through social media," he said.
Mengoni said the social media post announcing plans for a takeover at North Riverside Mall is similar to the post ahead of what we saw unfold in the Loop this past weekend.
North Riverdale police are coordinating directly with departments in Riverside, Brookfield, McCook, and other municipalities.
A spokesperson for the North Riverside Park Mall told CBS 2 their Youth Supervision Policy will be in place Saturday - which means anyone 17 and under needs to be accompanied by an adult:
"The safety of our shoppers, retail partners and mall employees is top priority at North Riverside Park Mall. We actively monitor social media and work with area police departments to track possible disruptive events similar to the violent occurrence in Chicago last weekend. Upon learning about recent calls for local teens to participate in a similar gathering at our mall this Saturday, we've decided to enact our Youth Supervision Policy for that day, we're working closely with local police to monitor the situation and have planned for increased security staff at the mall."
Meanwhile, Mengoni has a message to anyone planning to gather at the mall anyway.
"It's not going to happen in North Riverside," he said.
The Berwyn Police Department earlier this week also shared an alert for residents - asking they stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity:
"The Berwyn Police Department has received credible intelligence which suggests that a large gathering is being planned to take place this Saturday, April 22nd, during the afternoon and evening hours in the area of the North Riverside Park Mall. This gathering, much like what was reported on in the City of Chicago last weekend, has the potential for public disturbances and acts of violence. The Berwyn Police Department has been in contact with North Riverside and other neighboring jurisdictions to mitigate this potential. Preventative measures are currently being implemented, as well as preparations for a unified response on Saturday.
"We ask all Berwyn residents to remain vigilant, and report any suspicious activity that might be related to this gathering to the Berwyn Police Department. In an effort to keep your children, young adults, and families safe, please consider this advisory before making any plans near the North Riverside Park Mall on Saturday. The Berwyn Police Department is committed to collaborating with neighboring agencies to keep our community safe. We will be working to swiftly disperse participants, and ask you to avoid this area if at all possible. The Berwyn Police Department will provide updates to this advisory as needed, and thank you in advance for your cooperation."
