The Oak Brook Police Department took a proactive approach to providing security at the July 3 Taste of Oak Brook, the village’s largest annual event.
Planning for the Taste began months earlier and it went off without a hitch at the Oak Brook Sports Core fields, 700 Oak Brook Road, starting at 3 p.m. and continuing through the fireworks show at dusk.
Some instances of problems at large outdoor gatherings recently have found their way into the news, but Oak Brook Police Chief Brian Strockis said his department worked hard to be as prepared as possible.
“A large gathering is always a public safety concern, but we had every police employee, including civilians working this year, and it was the most surveilled Taste of Oak Brook with our real-time crime center operational.”
Strockis said two drones were used throughout the event. The video feeds went to the department’s real-time crime center, which was constantly monitored for safety.
“The drones helped us to monitor the perimeter of the event to ensure the crowd was safe,” he said, adding that the Oak Brook drone program was started earlier this year and has five certified pilots.
“We have used our drones to locate suspects that have fled from vehicles and also to locate missing subjects,” Strockis said.
Along with the use of drones, Oak Brook police utilized plain clothes officers for the first time, who blended in with the crowd; seven K-9s and bike officers. Also, a larger field security presence was achieved utilizing public works personnel to assist with traffic control.
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“I don’t recall another Taste being more protected and smoothly ran than this years event,” Strockis said. “You couldn’t go anywhere in the event without seeing the police.”
Village President Larry Herman said this year’s Taste of Oak Brook was by far the most successful yet.
“I’ve been to many of them over the last two decades, and I was so impressed by just how much everyone enjoyed this year’s event, from the Sixteen Candles band, to the new beer garden, the numerous food vendors, and of course our trademark epic fireworks show,” Herman said.
“Despite attendance that blew away prior years, this event was executed flawlessly,” he said.
Herman gave kudos to Village Manager Greg Summers, the public works department, police and fire departments, the village’s Taste of Oak Brook Committee, chaired by Trustee Michael Manzo, and others who worked on the Taste.
“Events of this magnitude are also not possible without the support of the community and particularly our corporate partners, such as Wintrust Financial, Flood Brothers, Ace Hardware, Hub Group and so many others,” Herman said.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.