Des Plaines: We cover some casino policing costs

The Des Plaines City Council passed an ordinance Monday barring anyone under 21 from entering the Rivers Casino.

The matter was a routine housekeeping item. But it did raise some questions about what the city may expect in reimbursement from the casino in matters requiring police presence or following a catastrophic situation.

Des Plaines Police Chief Jim Prandini said the ordinance, which is modeled on a similar one in Joliet, was requested by the Illinois Gaming Board and the casino so that anyone under the age of 21 who attempts to come into the casino can be arrested.

Resident Brian Burkross, stating that he thought casinos were responsible for policing their own premises, voiced his concern about the city footing the bill to “enforce an ordinance that in my understanding the owners of the casinos should already be enforcing.”

Prandini explained that under the protocol that has been established with the Illinois Gaming Board and the casino governing what type of calls police handle, the gaming board will handle financial crimes, while all other criminal activity, including battery, trespassing and assault cases, falls to Des Plaines police.

Burkross said the citizens were told the casino would have no financial impact on Des Plaines — or if it did, the casino would be responsible for that.

Noting that enforcing the trespassing law could place a financial burden on the city, he asked, “Did we not have an agreement with the casino that they would then help at least defray some of that cost?”

Prandini said, “To the best of my knowledge, there was no financial agreement that would arrange for them to reimburse us for anything that we were doing on duty in the performance of our job.

“Actually, the bottom line with most of these arrests, we're going to be charging that on a local ordinance level and we'll be able to recoup benefits from the fines that are adjudicated through our administrative hearing process.”

Prandini said other than traffic problems on opening day, police have been visiting the location only once or twice a day and with most of the cases being trespassing involving gamblers who have been banned from casinos. This, he said, is a “very limited drain on our staffing.”

Burkross also cited a recent incident involving a clash between motorcycle gangs in Las Vegas that he said resulted in deaths and injuries that cost the city millions as a reason to be concerned about who would pay. City Attorney David Wiltse said he wasn't prepared to address the issue of a civil suit after a catastrophe without looking further into the matter.