DuPage County Sheriff's Staff Told Not To Dine In At Restaurants

WHEATON, IL – All DuPage County Sheriff's Office staff have been instructed not to dine inside restaurants while in uniform or while using office vehicles until further notice.

The move comes after a sheriff's deputy received a corrective action after a person reported seeing two marked sheriff's vehicles at The Verdict restaurant.

"He was counseled and given a corrective action," said Justin Kmitch, the sheriff's communications director.

Monday afternoon, the office sent an email to all staff advising them that no one in uniform or in office vehicles are to dine in until further notice, Kmitch said.

"That being said, Sheriff Mendrick strongly believes that any of our employees are American citizens and are free to dine in or out wherever they please on their own time," Kmitch said. "Nothing here is done to prohibit any deputies or any members of the office from doing anything on their own time."

A community service volunteer was also advised that they should also follow the new guidelines.

Governor J.B. Pritzker announced last week that indoor dining would be banned beginning Friday in DuPage County, although many restaurants have said they will defy the order.

Mitigation measures include:

Bars

• No indoor service
• All outside bar service closes at 11:00 p.m.
• All bar patrons should be seated at tables outside
• No ordering, seating, or congregating at the bar (bar stools should be removed)
• Tables should be 6 feet apart
• No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
• No dancing or standing indoors
• Reservations required for each party
• No seating of multiple parties at one table

Restaurants

• No indoor dining or bar service
• All outdoor dining closes at 11:00 p.m.
• Outside dining tables should be 6 feet apart
• No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
• Reservations required for each party
• No seating of multiple parties at one table

Meetings, Social Events, Gatherings

• Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25 percent of overall room capacity
• No party buses
• Gaming and Casinos close at 11 p.m., are limited to 25 percent capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable