Naperville park police rely on public to solve cases

Last year, taxpayers shelled out $21,540 to repair vandalism in Naperville parks.

As of July, they've paid about $12,815 for such damage this year, park police say.

While police say criminal damage always will be an issue, officers now are putting more emphasis on catching criminals, park police Chief John Scheutz says.

"If we can take care of the small issues, the larger issues will go away," he said.

Most incidents of damage in Naperville parks are minor, such as broken signs and fences and graffiti.

But bigger incidents, such as starting fires in parks and restrooms, or damaging turf, can be more costly, amounting to a few thousand dollars to repair.

Park police have dealt with roughly 30 cases of damage this year. At least eight have been solved, resulting in 12 arrests. The teens found responsible were forced to pay for the damage costs.

In 2006, park police solved only four of 56 cases, yielding seven arrests.

Police say they're relying more on residents to help solve cases. In one example, a fence near Neuqua Valley High School was routinely damaged, costing about $2,000 to replace.

Police went door to door asking neighbors if they noticed anything. The interviews led to the arrests of several teens who were hopping the fence to cut through property.

"Police don't solve crimes," Scheutz said, "the public does for us."

Officers who patrol the Riverwalk also have made friends with regulars at the skate park who have assisted them.

Park police encourage patrons noticing anything suspicious to call (630) 848-5050.