McHenry County state’s attorney reaches agreement with Fox River Grove motel owner

Officials hope additional security cameras covering more areas of a Fox River Grove motel will reduce the number of drug-related overdose deaths reported there, McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally said Friday.

“There has been ... I would say dozens of overdose deaths versus less than 10″ at the River Inn Motel, Kenneally said.

Although the owners of the motel at 1000 Route 14, Fox River Grove, added security cameras in 2022 at his office’s request, another overdose death occurred there in early 2023, Kenneally said.

This is not a panacea, but a step in the right direction.”

—  McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally

Now, additional high-resolution security cameras, and greater coverage for those cameras, are expected to “deter illicit activities and create a more secure environment,” according to a release from Kenneally’s office sent Friday.

Had the motel owners not made additional security enhancements, his office planned to file a lawsuit seeking to have the property declared a “nuisance property,” Kenneally said.

If a judge were to agree with prosecutors and declare the site a nuisance, it could be closed “until the nuisance is abated,” Kenneally said.

The motel owner declined to comment Friday on the security changes there.

Overdose deaths were not the only calls for service from his department to the motel, Fox River Grove Police Chief Eric Waitrovich wrote in an email to the Northwest Herald.

“Our officers respond to the motel for calls related to alcohol, drugs, domestic issues, civil matters and other general disturbances. These issues are not limited or unique to the River Inn Motel in [Fox River Grove],” Waitrovich wrote.

He said he not have exact data immediately available regarding the number of recent fatal overdoses at the motel.

The idea of adding cameras – and making sure those at the motel know they are being watched – is to “not make it a convenient place to obtain and use drugs,“ Kenneally said.

In addition to video surveillance, Fox River Grove officers also have increased patrols in the area.

“Since installing functional security cameras as directed by the [state’s attorney’s] office, more active patrol by our officers in the parking lot area and communication with the motel staff, those issues have decreased,” Waitrovich said.

One of the issues with the previous security camera system was how long the footage was retained, Kenneally said.

Officers now have more time to check for cars coming in and out of the motel parking lot, how people got to the site, and who they were talking to, he said.

“That provides clues for police to follow up on” when incidents – including fatal overdoses – occur, Kenneally said.

The McHenry County Department of Health reported Friday that it has seen an increase in suspected fatal overdose deaths between May 12 and June 9, with “2.5 times more overdoses during this time period compared to the preceding four weeks,” according to a department release.

Not all of those deaths have been confirmed as opioid-related, but “most overdose deaths in McHenry County are caused by opioids, most often fentanyl,” according to the health department release.

Additional surveillance at this location does not solve the county’s overdose issue, Kenneally said.

“This is not a panacea, but a step in the right direction,” he said.