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Yesterday I got off the train and walked across that little park S of the tracks, and realized I hadn't been seeing as many bums hanging out there as I had previously.
Anyone know if the bum-presence is similarly reduced elsewhere in our town? Or have they just relocated from this one park?
I know I am often quite critical of what I consider to be shortcomings, so I wanted to make sure I acknowledged what impresses me as a positive development.
They all have them hiding on the second floor of the library.
Funny thing... last week I'm at the library with my kid. That Long-haired graybeard homeless guy is there and is walking around inside the library with a cigarette in his mouth. So, as he walks by a librarian and myself I ask.. "Can't you stop them from walking around with cigarettes inside the library?". She told me they can't do anything because they don't light the cigarrettes.
After so many years of listening to folks here complain about the homeless, know that your PD is working night and day to stem this scourge.
I was in Glen Ellyn "proper" last week for the first time in a few years (meaning, somewhere other than Mom and Dad's... er, what use to be Mom and Dads). I had an appointment to meet someone and was running early, so I went to Newton park to kill some time. While sitting there alone watching some bird play in a puddle, I was asked by a GEPD officer what I was doing there. I told him, and was then informed that I was loitering. Now, I guess maybe a park has a different purpose in GE, but I thought the whole idea was to be able to loiter? He was nice enough to follow me out of the park. I assume he wanted to make sure nothing adverse happened to me. Either that, or maybe loitering is considered a gateway crime to more serious offenses, necessitating the officers close scrutiny?
Maybe I should have just told him I was homeless. Probably would have left me alone, eh?
Sorry Tony, I have to admit when I'm at the park with my kids, I always feel a little creeped out when there is some guy sitting there alone. My first thought is "Why is an adult male here at the park by himself"? Sad commentary, but unfortunately the world we live in today.
KK116, you are part of the problem of the sad commentary. Did you really leave, Tony Rio? Why? Please give us more details. Did you explain anything to the officer? Was it the Glen Ellyn Police or the Park District Police? What if you were standing there shooting free throws on the hoop court, or throwing pitches to nobody, or firing lacrosse balls at a empty lacrosse net or making moves with a puck on the ice rink...what then? Do you think you would have been escorted out? Are you a pervert? How did the cop know? Do you have a record? What if you were doing a painting of the trees and their colors?
Mr. Rio has every right to enjoy our park system. Just as our kids have every right to be safe. Rio stated he was just sittng there, not "shooting free throws", or "firing lacrosse balls". My best friends daughter was approached by some perv at Newton Park last month. Horrible scene. They caught him though. There is a police report, feel free to look it up. This may be why they are watching the area. I am glad they're patrolling the park. If they want to ask me what I'm doing, they can do so, I won't make a big deal about being "profiled". I'll just feel a little safer at the park, and so will that little girl.
Then why would it need to stop at Newton? I live in the CLEA and on any day (any day when the weather doesn't suck *** like it has for the past three+ weeks) you will find people sitting on park benches seemingly staring/gazing at the water! There is a park nearby with children playing...running around...having fun. How do we handle those that are just hanging out at Lake Ellyn? "Enjoying" themselves? Is there really any room for that kind of activity at LE Park?
FWIW, I know Tony Rio's parents. Nice people. Tony...never met him...but if he still has that facial hair, I may have called the cops myself had I seen him milling about in a public park.
This, IMO, all boils down to personal responsibility. My question is....why would a little girl be left unattended in the park for a perv to approach? Where were the parents/sitters? If I am with my kid and an unsavory individual approaches him/her...that unsavory individual would have a size 10 K-Swiss Classic up his ***.
Posts: 9128 | Location: CLEA | Registered: November 04, 2004
I feel that if for some reason, you look like your up to no good, the cops can ask you what your doing. I don't have a problem with that. No matter which park it is. If perverts, dopers or the like, realize the cops are around, maybe they'll take their "activities" elsewhere.
Clam, it really was unbelievable. The girl was with both of her parents and her brother. The incident happened while she was off playing with some other children. She immediately told her dad what had happened, and her dad detained the guy until police arrived.
One of the differences between Tony R's case and folks on park benches at Lake Ellyn is the vehicle. If Tony's a creep, he's also sitting in his getaway vehicle. This occurs to me after reading this story about an officially sanctioned creep in the Trib yesterday. Still, I'm surprised he was asked to move along.
Posts: 227 | Location: Glen Ellyn, IL | Registered: October 22, 2003
Originally posted by kk116: I feel that if for some reason, you look like your up to no good, the cops can ask you what your doing. I don't have a problem with that. No matter which park it is.
And you should be able to say, "I'm lawfully minding my own business in a public place. Am I violating any specific law?"
No problem with the cops giving someone the once over, or even asking a couple of questions. But I imagine Tony just didn't want whatever hassle might be involved in not readily complying with the cops' wishes.
Of course, I tend to take a pretty extreme view in terms of police stops, searches, consent, and such. And my personal preferences have pretty consistently been at odds with the Supremes over the past decade or so.
Instead of just sitting there watching the bird you should have sat there and texted someone thousands of times. Then you could have told them you were a police chief discussing business with fellow village staff. Or maybe you could have let the officer put a chalk mark on your back and then have him check back in in 3 hours to see if you were still there. If so, then nail you for loitering.
But always remember, keep your clothes on, they only shoot unarmed naked people!
