Joe's Hotdogs Becomes Magnet For Mischief: Joliet City Councilman Joe Clement Said It's Being Addressed

JOLIET, IL — At the same time that the third-generation owners of Joliet's Joe's Hot Dogs are trying to sell their business and property on Plainfield Road, a number of drifters and transients have been lurking around the hot dog place, and that spells trouble, according to discussion at this week's city council meeting.

Joliet City Councilman Joe Clement, a retired Joliet police detective, brought up the topic.

"I spoke briefly a few weeks ago with (Police) Chief (Rob) Brown about Six Corners," Clement remarked. "The panhandling and, in particular, Joe's Hot Dogs. We've had a lot of people harassing some of the owners over there, patrons, and the owner did call me.

"She was looking for a little bit of help, and if you go through there, it has been cleaned up a lot, and I think we took care of the encampment, the camp that was over there that was going on, so that's moving in a good direction."

On July 30, Joliet Patch produced a story with the following headline: "Joe's Hot Dogs Arrest: Joliet Man Who Often Causes Mischief And Mayhem Captured By Joliet Police Once Again."

According to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English, at 9:52 a.m. on July 7, officers responded to Joe's Hot Dogs at 810 Plainfield Road for a report of criminal damage to property after a glass door at the business was found damaged.

English revealed that a review of surveillance video allegedly showed a man approaching the business shortly before
9 p.m. on July 7, kicking the door, and then walking away. It took a few weeks, but Joliet police ultimately captured and arrested a familiar face: 41-year-old Michael Ritchey.