Crime & Safety

Lemont Police to Hold Open Neighborhood Watch Meeting Tuesday in Response to Attempted Abduction

The meeting will be held Tuesday, Nov. 30, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lemont Police Department, and will include all 17 Neighborhood Watch groups.

In response to the  Nov. 3, the Lemont Police Department is holding an open meeting Tuesday for all Neighborhood Watch groups.

The meeting will be held from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the , 14600 W. 127th St., and will be led by Lemont Police Chief Kevin Shaughnessy, Cmdr. Dan Tully and several department investigators.

Lemont Police Sgt. Therese Thompson, coordinator of the Neighborhood Watch program, said the purpose of the open meeting is to provide information about recent incidents, as well as safety tips for parents and children.

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"Our Neighborhood Watch programs have been extremely helpful in just providing more eyes and ears in the community," Thompson said. "The more people we have looking out for suspicious activity, the better it is for our kids."

The meeting comes nearly one month after a man attempted to force a 16-year-old Lemont girl into his vehicle while she was walking home from Lemont High School in the 500 block of First Street. In the weeks that followed, several other "suspicious" incidents were reported in or near Lemont involving men scaring or luring children.

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The most recent incident involved a man who allegedly  in the 13700 block of McCarthy Road on Monday, Nov. 15.

In light of recent events, Lemont police have increased their presence throughout the village -- tailing school buses, looking for unmarked vehicles and monitoring school zones.

"We're doing our best to be more visible in order to ensure residents we are out their doing our job, which is to keep them safe," Lemont Police Chief Kevin Shaughnessy said.

The Lemont Police Department is also being assisted by and , both of which recently announced neighborhood watch initiatives. According to Thompson, the Lemont Park District is interested in starting a similar program.

Lemont police have also issued numerous community alerts encouraging parents to share safety tips with their children. According to Thompson, every child should know four basic things when dealing with strangers:

  • The definition of a stranger is anyone you do not know very well.
  • If you are confronted by a stranger, keep a distance of at least two broomsticks between you and them.
  • When adults are not around, you are responsible for yourself and must make the right decisions.
  • The only people you should trust are your family members and friends.

In addition to discussing safety with children, Thompson encouraged residents to join a Neighborhood Watch group or start one of their own.

"It's important because residents in these groups are making that very basic promise to pick up the phone and call 911 if they see anything," she said. "It's so simple, but that's all it takes sometimes to prevent a crime."

For more information on the Neighborhood Watch program or other safety measures, call the at 630-257-2229. To sign up for electronic alerts, visit the village of Lemont's website.


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