Flossmoor police recently were able to stop a house party before it got out of hand and blocked a second one from happening.
Police Chief Carl Estelle shared with the board of trustees on July 21 the steps officers took to prevent a potentially disruptive party in the village.
Estelle said on July 4 officers were called to Oak Lane Road where dozens of people were attempting to get into a house party. Officers said more than 100 vehicles were parked on both sides of the street and on the front lawns of several homes.
Estelle said the street was so crowded that emergency vehicles couldn’t have accessed the area.
The same house was scheduled for a house party on July 11, he said. The Flossmoor police got word on July 9 that the second party was being promoted online. Organizers were selling tickets for admission, drink packages and liquor packages.
Parking for the party was set up at the Metra Lot in Olympia Fields with a shuttle to the home, Estelle said, believing that this event would be bigger than the previous one on July 4.
“We decided to place no parking signs on both sides of the road, close Oak Lane Road down at Vollmer, and only allow residents to enter who were visiting or conducting business other than that of the party,” Estelle said.
Flossmoor Police contacted the Metra Police and notified the Olympia Fields Police Department, Estelle said. They also delivered a letter to the party’s location to inform the occupants of the municipal codes that could be violated if the party took place.
Residents in the neighborhood also were notified with letters explaining the situation and why the police would be monitoring the entrance of the neighborhood.
“We realized that this may have been an inconvenience to some,” Estelle said. “We were doing all that we could to ensure the safety not only for the homeowners who reside in the area, but for those who plan to visit our community as well.”
After handling this second situation, officers learned the party was moved to Crete with an after party planned in Lynwood, Estelle said.
Flossmoor police contacted the Will County Sheriff’s Department and the Lynwood Police Department with this information. Estelle said police contacted the homeowners and those parties were canceled. Estelle said the party occurred in Chicago Heights.
“We just ask that everyone be mindful and respectful to our neighbors so that we aren’t disturbing the peace,” Estelle said.
Village Manager Bridget Wachtel said there’s been a trend on social media sites advertising for home and pool rental for parties.
“This is a trend, quite frankly,” Wachtel said. “If you get on various social media sites, you will type pool rentals or house rentals for parties, you can easily find them out there.”
Nelson said a post for one of the parties had around 1,000 shares on a social media platform with around 500 likes.
Trustee Jim Mitros gave credit to Estelle for his work with the department since he took over as chief in February and thanked the police department for how things were handled.
