400 Teens Converge On Irwin Park In Rumored 'Teen Takeover' Halloween Night: Homewood PD

HOMEWOOD, IL — A crowd of 400 teens gathered in Irwin Park and surrounding areas Halloween night caused the park to close early, Homewood police said Monday.

Police saw the teens at the park with no supervision, they said Monday evening. Some individuals in the group wore full costumes, while others only wore masks that concealed their identity, adding to safety concerns, according to police.

Prior to that evening, social media reports indicated that a “teen takeover” was being planned at the park, police said. There was no sanctioned or organized event scheduled at Irwin Park that evening.

"Due to the unusually large number of unsupervised individuals congregating, combined with concerns stemming from similar incidents over the summer months, the decision was made to close the park for the remainder of the evening in the interest of public safety," police said.

"Throughout the past summer, the Homewood Police Department responded to multiple incidents involving large groups of teens in this park, some of which escalated into physical altercations. There were some instances when teens initiated fights in the direct presence of police officers. These incidents resulted in disturbances, minor injuries, and raised significant safety concerns for both participants, nearby residents and business owners."

With those incidents in mind, police said the department "acted proactively on Halloween to prevent a repeat" of those incidents. Officers, with assistance from neighboring law enforcement agencies, were able to peacefully disperse the crowd.

A large majority of the teens contacted, police said, were from towns outside of Homewood and Flossmoor.

"The Homewood Police Department will continue to monitor community gathering spots and will be working with local schools, parents, and community organizations to encourage safe and positive activities for youth."