Teens share thoughts on now to tackle large gatherings after 9 arrested in Naperville

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]Tonight, a push for perspective from teenagers. This comes one day after nine people were arrested in a teen takeover that happened in Naperville.

[00:00:09]>> NBC 5's Jesse Navares live there in Naperville tonight after attending a listening event where some young people and even adults came together trying to come up with some solutions for stopping these large gatherings that sometimes get out of control, Jesse.

[00:00:23]>> Hey there, Stefan and Allison. That's right, a lot of spitballing of ideas earlier today. And yes, the cuffs did come out last night by police here in Naperville. It's a disturbing trend here that officials everywhere are trying to get a handle on as summer gets started.

[00:00:38]And as you mentioned, it's no longer just a city problem, but it's spilling over to the suburbs, too.

[00:00:44]What once was a city problem has now spilled over into the suburbs.

[00:00:49]Naperville, the latest suburb to get a takeover. What began as a large gathering at 5:00 p.m. quickly escalated. Naperville police arresting nine and ticketing nearly three dozen more. Most of those arrested were from neighboring suburbs. Police here saying in part they have a zero tolerance policy. Telling us, "If you break the law, there will be no warnings. There will be no second chances. We've tried that approach, and it was met with a lot of disrespect and lawlessness. As was last night proved, we will not hesitate to make arrests and issue citations for breaking the law."

[00:01:21]>> I'm hearing from you all that if there were activities taking place in your local neighborhood >> Meanwhile, in Fuller Park, a new dialogue Tuesday between teens and adults.

[00:01:33]>> I'm glad that I came here today because now these adults can see, "Okay, this is what we have to do."

[00:01:39]>> Officials in Chicago teaming up for a listening session to try to fight teen takeovers. Some teens telling us they want to gather at arcades and bowling alleys, but can't afford to do so.

[00:01:49]>> And a lot of kids don't have that money.

[00:01:51]And a lot of times their family don't have that money. So, it's like, where else are we supposed to go? We don't have these places to have fun.

[00:01:58]>> Nonprofits, CPD, and the city's teens are now collaborating on a new approach.

[00:02:03]Teens telling us the options the city does provide rarely entice them to participate, leading hundreds to make their own plans. And what may start as a gathering quickly gets out of hand.

[00:02:14]>> The one thing that a lot of people don't know how to do is walk away.

[00:02:17]Um, they feel like they have to stay and watch or continue for something happening until it gets too big and it blows up and everybody's like, "Whoa."

[00:02:24]>> And whether in the suburbs or the city, officials could agree on one thing: Accountability begins at home. However, it will take more than just parents stepping up to fight this.

[00:02:34]>> The visual perception deters the element.

[00:02:37]We need to be more active and we need to be more supportive.

[00:02:43]>> Now, officials there did say that they acknowledge that some of the sanctioned events may lack some of the things that teenagers are looking for. That's the whole point of the listening session.

[00:02:53]They vowed to change that and create some more inclusive, even free events that will help keep teenagers off the streets.

[00:03:00]>> Stefan.

[00:03:00]>> Okay, collaboration and problem-solving.

[00:03:02]Hopefully, we'll see more of that. J.C.

[00:03:04]Navarete, we appreciate the update.

[00:03:05]Thank you, sir.