DeKalb County police agencies talk event safety in wake of Highland Park shooting

In the wake of an Independence Day mass shooting that left seven dead and injured dozens more as families lined the streets of Highland Park to watch a holiday parade, DeKalb County law enforcement officials said security is top of mind ahead of planned festivals still to come this year.

While there’s no parade planned during the three-day music festival, DeKalb Corn Fest is expected to draw thousands to downtown next month. The annual affair set for Aug. 26 to 28 is the area’s largest summer festival. Security is provided by DeKalb police, and Chief David Byrd said the department will plan accordingly.

“We’re going to do a threat assessment, of course, that’s first,” Byrd said. “Then, we’ll start working on staff, start talking about resources and then we’ll put our plan together as we’ve done the years in the past.”

Robert E. Crimo III is accused of firing almost 100 bullets from a rifle-style gun he bought legally into a crowd Monday at the city’s Independence Day parade from a rooftop and was taken into custody hours later after initially getting away from the scene. Along with seven people who were killed, about 40 more were injured as a result.

Organizers with the DeKalb Park District elected to continue Fourth of July events and a fireworks show at Hopkins Park in DeKalb despite the shooting, promising in a statement that “the public’s safety is our No. 1 priority.”

Several municipalities in suburban Chicago opted to cancel as a precaution while the the alleged shooter remained. Crimo – who’s been charged with seven counts of murder – reportedly confessed to the killings. Police reported Wednesday Crimo left the chaotic scene Monday morning and drove more than two hours north to Madison, Wisconsin, with a rifle, contemplating another shooting spree. He drove back to Illinois and was later arrested after a short pursuit in Lake Forest, about five miles north of Highland Park.

Byrd said the City of DeKalb did not consider canceling the Fourth of July fireworks display in town.

“At the time, the only consideration for cancellation was only weather,” Byrd said. “We didn’t have any credible threats to the DeKalb area. The threat assessment will drive your decision-making.”

While the shooter evaded police Monday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a person of interest profile that stated Crimo had ties to DeKalb, Elgin and Rockford.

DeKalb County law enforcement said Monday they weren’t aware of any known connections and hadn’t been contacted directly by Highland Park investigators.

‘Prepare for the worst, hope for the best’

Safety is about securing the area at high-density crowd events such as a parade or downtown festival, said DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan. The sheriff’s office typically assists area municipalities with security for large events as needed, he said. The Sandwich Fair, set for Sept. 7 to 11, is a priority for the sheriff’s office.

“We always take extra precautions at the Sandwich Fair and provide extra security,” Sullivan said. “That’s always been our priority, and we will continue to do that.”

While municipalities such as DeKalb look to the DeKalb Police Department to provide point on threat assessments, deputies could be called in if asked, Sullivan said.

“When the time comes we meet with those individual municipalities like different police jurisdictions before the events, and if they ask for assistance we always provide that,” Sullivan said.

In addition to crowd control, having a police presence is key, Byrd said.

“As we can see with the Highland Park incident, when you have someone who’s willing to execute a plan like he did, it can be very unpredictable for law enforcement,” Byrd said. “At that time, you’re trying to interdict something from happening. If it does happen, you’re trying to reduce the outcome as far as who’s injured and how many. You try to stop that threat as soon as possible.”

The next few months will brings events such as DeKalb Corn Fest downtown, the Fizz Ehrler Memorial Turning Back Time Car Show in Sycamore, the Waterman Summerfest and Antique Tractor Show, Bacon Fest in Genoa and Cortland Summer Fest.

As law enforcement agencies prep for upcoming events, it’s important to have a clear plan of action, with visible eyes on the ground, and sometimes in the air, Byrd said.

The DeKalb Police Department also has a drone that can provide areal tactical assessment.

“Sometimes there are events where you have to actually try to get overhead fixed wing aircraft to fly over and see if they can do some … photos so you can see what the crowd looks like, how big it is, where any threats could possibly hide,” Byrd said. “Those are the things you could do prior to the event.”

Boots on the ground is always a priority, Byrd said.

Crimo reportedly evaded capture in the aftermath of the massacre by dressing as a woman and blending into the crowd, where first responders had taken part in the parade minutes before.

For the Fourth of July fireworks show, DeKalb and Northern Illinois University officers worked in tandem to provide a threat assessment detail, Byrd said. If the need arose, he said he would solicit additional aid from Illinois State Police.

“But one of the big keys is the high visibility,” Byrd said. “The more officers, the more eyes we have looking for suspicious persons or packages. We also have access to bomb-sniffing dogs. We don’t actually have them in DeKalb, but we have access to them. But you can request a bomb-sniffing dog do a walk-through the event prior to the event where if they alert on any area of the structure depending on where you’re actually having the event, you can make some changes or cancel the event.”

In 2013, countywide agencies including the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, Northern Illinois University police and the DeKalb and Sycamore police departments created a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. The sheriff’s office – which has had its own SWAT team for 30 years – takes point for the countywide SWAT team, Sullivan said.

The team is also on hand for large events, Byrd said.

To prep for a large outdoor event, Byrd said police usually conduct a threat assessment, calculate staffing levels needed and assess whether any credible threats exist prior to the event. SWAT team members can be on hand to provide surveillance as an undercover officer in the crowd, and drone operation.

Byrd said event cancelations are usually decided by its organizers.

“You can do more with credible intelligence,” Byrd said. “Without any intelligence, you always err on the side of caution. So, you prepare for the worst, and you hope for the best.”