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* NCTV…
Located just off I-88, Naperville’s Topgolf, 3211 Odyssey Ct., offers a high-tech driving range and full-service restaurant. But just outside the facility, Naperville police have over the past year found numerous guns, sometimes in plain sight, in cars throughout the parking lot.
Since Aug. 1, 2023, there have been 23 gun-related arrests outside Topgolf, according to Naperville Police Commander Ricky Krakow.
Many of the firearms, Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said, are discovered during officer foot patrols of the facility’s parking lot. […]
Why are guns being left out in plain view inside cars? It’s a question on the mind of Arres and his department.
“I don’t know how to speculate why someone wouldn’t properly secure a firearm. Laziness? Not thinking they’re going to get caught? I can’t really guess. But what I can say is what we do,” said Arres. […]
Despite the influx of incidents outside Topgolf, Arres says gun-related arrests in Naperville have been trending down.
“In 2022, if you take the average out, it’s about 12 gun arrests per month, 2023 that dropped to 10, and actually in 2024, we’ve averaged nine gun arrests per month, so actually, the numbers are going down,” Arres said. “Not as fast as I or anyone in this community would like but we’re going to continue proactively patrolling this with the hope that those gun-related arrests are zero.”
* Make that 24 arrests. Naperville Sun…
A 24-year-old from Calumet Park was arrested Friday night for having a firearm inside his car while it was parked in the Naperville Topgolf parking lot, the 24th time a suspect’s been charged with a firearm-related offense since August 2023, officials said.
Demonte G. Dennis was arrested about 9:15 p.m. at the 3211 Odyssey Court lot on one charge of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, a class 4 felony, and a misdemeanor charge for possession of cannabis.
Dennis was taken into custody after police discovered a firearm illicitly stored inside his car while patrolling the Topgolf lot, according to Naperville police Cmdr. Rick Krakow.
Officers were performing a proactive foot patrol of the lot when they detected an odor of cannabis from the area around a parked Buick, Krakow said. The vehicle was unoccupied, but when officers looked through its windows, they observed a handgun in plain view. […]
Consistently making headlines for more than a year now, the trend of people bringing guns into Naperville’s Topgolf parking lot was first observed in August 2023. Since then, Naperville police have been routinely doing foot patrols around the business and making arrests for illegal gun possession, among other offenses.
* The Naperville Sun in April…
What have alleged offenders arrested at Topgolf been charged with?
There have been a range of weapons charges, including aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, armed violence, armed habitual criminal and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.
* More from the Sun…
The city’s strategic response unit conducts foot patrols at the facility “at least a couple times a week,” McLean said. […]
The facility has enhanced security measures.
[Naperville police Sgt. Michael McLean] said police have met with Topgolf “probably three or four times” and that they are taking steps “to try and make things safer out there.”
posted by Isabel Miller
Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 10:47 am
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It cannot simply be the golf range, or its clientele. I believe the same technique would yield similar results at malls, shopping centers, sporting events, etc. Naperville has simply discovered one venue where people carry illegally.
Comment by H-W Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 10:56 am
I don’t know much about TopGolf but I wonder if you’d get any different results at other parking lots where mostly males congregate. A lot of people think they need to be able to whip it out at any second as they drive through those mean streets of suburbia.
Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 11:03 am
Put a range there and some BBQ and fusion food start calling it
Golf, Guns, and Grub will be the most popular places in Naperville.
Comment by Frida's boss Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 11:12 am
Do the Naperville police not understand that cannabis is legal for recreational use?
Do they think they need to smell weed in order to look in a car window? Lets say the vehicle was occupied. Are they planning on harassing a person who is engaged in a legal activity, but jokes on them the car was empty and they could see a gun in plain sight?
Just tell people that when you’re on foot patrols you look inside all of the cars instead of pretending like they can identify which one smells like pot when no one inside of the vehicle is even smoking.
Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 11:26 am
Maybe some street gangs have formed a golf league.
Comment by Siualum Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 11:26 am
Its in the Constitution of the United States of America: Leave the gun on the seat of your car at TopGolf in Naperville.
C’mon. This is America.
Comment by Jerry Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 11:27 am
Sometimes broing out leads us astray.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 11:30 am
Do the Naperville police not understand that cannabis is legal for recreational use?
Not in a,car,and not in public..do your home work
Comment by Must win Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 11:37 am
===cannabis is legal for recreational use===
Yes it is, just like alcohol. But it is not legal to use cannabis in public, or to drive while under its influence. Just like alcohol. So the scent of cannabis in a parking lot is worth investigating, don’t you think?
And for those who leave firearms in plain view in their cars, I don’t understand the thought process. How easy would it be for someone to break the window and steal the gun? That is not something responsible gun owners would do. It’s dumb and dangerous, and I am glad NAperville cops are doing this work. Sadly, even with all of the publicity, it keeps happening.
I also agree with those who say this isn’t a Top Golf problem. It is likely occurring everywhere. That’s a scary thought. Too many guns are out there unsecured. That’s the problem.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 11:37 am
Candy
Please cite in Illinois law where you can smoke weed in your vehicle.
I am going to bet that Top Golf has a no weed consumption on their property rule
Comment by Green leafy substance Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 11:41 am
Frequency illusion.
As many are pointing out, there’s nothing unique here. The only different aspect is the Naperville police are actually looking at this specific location.
We’ve been going through years of record firearm sales. 2023 saw the 4th most firearms sold in the US, with 2022, 2021, and 2020 holding the top spots. Not all of them are going to be sales to responsible owners.
Similarly, if the news started printing all the domestic violence arrests in Will County it would seem like a sudden epidemic is taking place - instead of just something that has always been going on here at almost the same rate, but is just being ignored.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 11:44 am
My speculation would be that a notable percentage of individuals frequenting driving ranges are there to alleviate stress. And of the subset of the population that needs to frequently relieve stress, I don’t think it’s too far of a reach to assume that a considerable proportion may be prone to carelessness regarding gun safety protocols or believe they need to have their firearms more accessible for unforeseen circumstances.
Comment by TJ Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 11:56 am
CD- drinking is legal as well. You can’t sit in your car and just drink beer. You can’t do it with weed either. It’s an intoxicating substance, and being used in a vehicle is dangerous for all.
I would find it interesting to see the cars they’re looking at and the demographics of those who have guns. Are they watching people walk in and then checking their cars? Are they only looking at certain types of cars?
Comment by Frida's boss Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 11:57 am
@Candy
You can “smoke ‘em if you got ‘em” in your home or other private property with the consent of the owner, but public consumption of cannabis is illegal. This includes streets, parks, parking lots, etc.
Comment by Tony T. Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 11:57 am
A bit of context for those not near the Vil’.
Top Golf is right off the tollway on 88 at Rtt 59. It is across from a Carmax and next door to Whirlyball (which does not seem to have the same issues). There used to be an Odsey Funworld about a block away, but it is closed now.
A few blocks away is a place with garage condos starting at 340K and car condos with a mezzanine starting at 600K. I did a tour there when they first opened, I have to say the car condos were cool.
But it’s an area where if you bring your piece with you, it’s because you either always bring it or forget about it.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 12:03 pm
The number of FOID holders in Illinois has almost doubled since 2010 to around 2.2 million. That’s like 17 percent of the population. Most of those folks leave their guns at home, but given the sheer volume of gun ownership, I bet if you put any parking lot under scrutiny you’d find a similar number of guns.
Comment by Tony T. Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 12:10 pm
With so much crime these days and the SAFE-T Act, you never know when you might need to shoot your way out of a Naperville driving range. Don’t tell me people who have the income and lifestyle to be at a regional premiere hospitality venue have little awareness of the realities around them.
/s
I agree with H-W: Check the vehicles and storm drains outside most private venues restricting concealed carry and you’re sure to find an arsenal.
Comment by Dirty Red Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 12:13 pm
Its not legal. According to Clay Thomas we have to look at the history behind it. There were no cars when the country was founded nor did TopGolf exist. And unless it was explicitly written when the WhiteHairs wrote the Constitution, it doesnt exist. Ask Clay, he said so.
Oh and Clay Thomas would not have been allowed to own a gun when the constitution was written either.
Comment by Jerry Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 12:20 pm
The people being arrested don’t seem to be from Naperville. Perhaps this is attempting to send a message to stay out of Naperville?
Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 12:31 pm
=== The number of FOID holders in Illinois has almost doubled since 2010 ===
I do not disagree with the broader point you are making. I would only caution against the assumption that all FOID holder are actually firearm owners. I and a few folks I know have FOID cards simply so we can occasionally target shoot with other people’s guns.
Comment by H-W Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 12:39 pm
Well, to paraphrase the movie Stalag-17: “We were playing golf. It’s a rough game.”
Comment by Benjamin Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 12:46 pm
= Perhaps this is attempting to send a message to stay out of Naperville?=
It would help if you got out of the bad old days - Naperville is what it is due to the huge amount of sales tax generated by consumers - they would not want to kill the golden goose
Comment by Donnie Elgin Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 12:48 pm
This is just further evidence to support what I have always believed, Golfers are a menace.
Comment by Bud Grant Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 1:22 pm
Guessin’ there are a goodly number of driving ranges between Cal Park and Naperville. Perhaps there is a Mopes Across America App that allows said Mope an easy way to look for fun spots to drive to with the piece under the seat. Perhaps N’ville could do an ad on the site noting the number of pinches
Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 1:24 pm
The TopGolf is close to the I-88.
That’s it. It’s frequented as a contraband marketplace where you can make a clean getaway if needed.
But plenty of doofusses don’t know when to leave.
Comment by We've never had one before Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 1:26 pm
Guys and Gals,
You are overthinking this.
You can’t swing a golf club with a gun in your waistband or even in a holster.
They are taking their guns off and leaving them in plain sight for the cops that are looking into the cars.
Comment by Occasionally Moderated Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 1:47 pm
They are simply leaving their guns in the car… guns they typically carry. Gives you a sense of the number of people carrying a gun all around you. Just glad they rarely fire them I guess.
Comment by Lincoln Lad Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 2:03 pm
I’m curious to know if the PD is noting plates and confirming ownership.
A majority may belong to customers, but it’s a good cover for nefarious operations with the upside of a quick getaway.
Comment by Long time reader, first time poster Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 2:17 pm
==Do the Naperville police not understand that cannabis is legal for recreational use?==
Recreational cannabis and handguns go together like peas and carrots. No one will convince me otherwise.
Comment by Carroll County's Favorite Son Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 2:30 pm
Warren Zevon is looking pretty solid for tomorrow. Just sayin’.
Comment by Occasionally Moderated Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 2:44 pm
There is so much police attention at the site, I doubt it’s a destination of choice for nefarious activity. Too many cops. But then you’d think people would not leave their guns in plain view after so many arrests. Kind of bizarre.
Comment by Lincoln Lad Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 2:45 pm
You can’t swing a club with a CC weapon on your belt. Jk, guns are everywhere. Naperville PD is just bothering to look.
Comment by It's Just a Pill Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 2:52 pm
clearly a result of outreach by the sport for a new market cause they truly don’t believe that women should play….chicago area has the highest number of clubs that do not allow women as members.
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Sep 5, 24 @ 4:57 pm