Darien Described As 'Very Safe Community'

DARIEN, IL – Darien officials described the city as safe during a lengthy discussion earlier this month about retail thefts at Walmart.

The debate was prompted by Alderman Eric Gustafson's request for the city to consider assessing fees to stores after a certain number of retail theft calls in a month.

Gustafson said he was concerned about retail theft calls taking the police away from more pressing matters. He noted some towns around the country charge fees for excessive retail theft calls.

He said he feared that stores with self-checkouts such as Walmart indirectly shift security costs to the police department.

In a presentation at a City Council meeting, Police Chief Greg Thomas said there never has been a time when the police received a call for an emergency when an officer was tied up on a retail theft case.

Alderman Tom Chlystek said he worried about the effects of the weekly police blotter that often contains multiple retail theft cases.

"We're trying to bring in young people, and you have the police at Walmart all the time," Chlystek said. "It sort of gives an image over time. If we can do anything to reduce it, I think that's important."

He asked, "The image we see in the newspaper all the time, is that good or bad for the city?

City Administrator Bryon Vana took a different view.

"When you look at our police report, many people are astounded by the minimal amount of crime," Vana said. "I think we all sell ourselves on Darien as one of the safest towns around of anywhere we know... I don't think somebody looking at something at Walmart is going to give the impression that Darien is not a safe town and businesses are not going to come."

Vana described Darien as a "very, very safe community," adding that a recent survey of 400 residents supported that view.

"If you have residents that feel differently, then you could tell the council. But I'm not sure that you're accurate," Vana said.

Mayor Joseph Marchese agreed.

"Darien is a very safe community. Retail thefts in Darien are low," he said. "Our rate of crime in Darien is extremely low in terms of DuPage County."

He thanked Gustafson for bringing up the issue of retail theft.

Gustafson said his attention to retail theft has put the issue on the radar. If Walmart decides to go entirely with self-checkouts, the alderman said, the problem could get worse.

"It will be up to the chief when it becomes burdensome to his staff," Gustafson said. "Then, as a community, we'll have to do something."