DeKalb police called after multiple large, ‘unruly parties’ over weekend on north side

DeKALB – DeKalb police confirmed they responded to multiple calls for large “unruly parties” from over the weekend on the city’s north side.

Along with DeKalb police, law enforcement officials from other agencies including Northern Illinois University and Illinois State Police told hundreds of party goers early Monday morning in a townhouse on Regent Drive they had to leave or they would be arrested for trespassing. It took police an hour and a half to clear the area and fire officials also brought in flood lights to help coax party-goers out of the area.

DeKalb Police Chief David Byrd David Byrd said the Regent Drive party was one of two that resulted in residential tenants getting cited for being disorderly. He said a call also came in to police about a large party at an apartment on College Avenue.

An NIU police booking log from Monday morning show NIU police did not make any arrests over the weekend.

Byrd said it’s not like party-goers were resistant, citing the lack of arrests made as well.

“It looked like it was just taking a little bit of coaxing to get people moving,” Byrd said.

Fire officials brought in flood lights to help with crowd control in the townhome’s parking lot and multiple tow trucks also arrived on scene as police tried to get party-goers off the property.

Byrd also said a call came in about a loud party at 1:42 a.m. Monday with an alleged fight involving “individuals with guns” at the AMC Market Square theater on Sycamore Road 1:42 a.m. Monday. No guns were recovered however, Byrd said, and police weren’t able to confirm that shots had been fired.

“There were approximately 100 cars, maybe 200 people,” Byrd said. “There were no active fights when law enforcement arrived. ... There were no citations written on that one and they dispersed pretty quickly.”

Byrd also confirmed there were no arrests made at the College Avenue and Regent Drive parties. He said the parties being held Sunday going into Monday morning wasn’t due to any one event, like a nearby sporting event or back to school event for area college students.

“I’m not sure what the rhyme or reason was,” Byrd said.

DeKalb County Sheriff’s Lt. Jim Burgh said sheriff’s officials were on scene as backup for DeKalb Police Department. He said that meant sheriff’s deputies could help if any issues came up with crowd control in trying to get party-goers off of the property.

“Luckily, that was not the case,” Burgh said. “Not that I was aware of.”

The parties were held near NIU campus, though in residential off-campus housing not specifically designated as student housing, and while police said they thought some participants were students -- as the incidents, like last year, coincided with the weekend students returned for the fall semester -- it’s unclear who was involved in the incidents.