Normal officials, police host forum on gun violence, public safety
NORMAL — In light of gun violence, including a fatal shooting, and other criminal activity since August, Normal officials met with the public Thursday night to discuss what they are doing about it.
"We decided to invite the neighborhood to this gathering. This fall has been challenging in the town of Normal, in this particular neighborhood ... It is of grave concern to you as well as to us," City Manager Pam Reece said, gesturing to her administrative team who sat beside her at the gathering at Fairview Elementary School, 416 Fairview St.
Normal Police Chief Steve Petrilli called recent events "something of an anomaly."
He spoke of gunfire at a pop-up party Sept. 29 adjacent to the Illinois State University campus on homecoming weekend that left an Oak Lawn 18-year-old dead and another 18-year-old critically injured. The chief also noted two arrests have been made in relation to gunfire near a youth football game Oct. 5 near One Normal Plaza in which no injuries were reported.
As for the homecoming party shooting in the area of the 300 blocks of North Main and North University streets, Petrilli said he could offer no new information because of the pending investigation, but the police department is "moving in the right direction."
Petrilli said the town and his department have been diligently working to find ways to combat this violence, including discussions with ISU and its police department.
"ISU is a great partner not only with their police, but in all departments throughout the town," Petrilli said, "ISU is Normal and Normal is ISU."
He noted an uptick in incidents within public parks in Normal after college students returned in August, beginning in Ironwood Park then slowly and steadily forming a trend that cumulated with the homecoming shooting. The chief said city staff members and elected officials agree changes need to be made.
Brad Park, Normal police public information officer, spoke to residents at the meeting, encouraging them to contact police by calling 911 or their nonemergency number (309-454-9535) or by using the anonymous tip 411 service or the department's app.
Park described curbing such incidents as a group effort between police and community members.
"We know this is a fantastic community, we do our best to gather intel about what's going on," Park said.
He described instances in which police were able to shut down several large parties before they began on Halloween weekend because of tips.
The panel also discussed a six-month moratorium imposed earlier this month on new short-term rentals such as through Airbnb while the town studies tighter regulations. City officials suspect such rentals have been used to host pop-up parties.
The town's potential actions range from prohibiting short-term rentals outright to eliminating them in residential neighborhoods to allowing them to remain as they are, Reece said.
A proposed ordinance to curtail nuisance gatherings such as pop-up parties also was discussed Thursday. The council tabled it on Oct. 21 until the Dec. 2 council meeting after public criticism questioning its constitutionality and language.
The chief said such ordinances may provide options for holding people behind these gatherings accountable, but they won't necessarily solve the problem.
Contact Kaitlyn Klepec at (309) 820-3345.
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