The parking lot of a family-friendly attraction in Naperville has been a top destination for criminal activity over the past year.
Located just off I-88, Naperville’s Topgolf, 3211 Odyssey Ct., offers a high-tech driving range and full-service restaurant. But just outside the facility, Naperville police have over the past year found numerous guns, sometimes in plain sight, in cars throughout the parking lot.
Since Aug. 1, 2023, there have been 23 gun-related arrests outside Topgolf, according to Naperville Police Commander Ricky Krakow.
Many of the firearms, Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said, are discovered during officer foot patrols of the facility’s parking lot.
“Since the first day we found a gun in that parking lot, we’ve been extremely proactive as I would expect our officers to do,” Arres said. “They’ve continued their fine work, and unfortunately, people aren’t securing their firearms correctly.”
Why are guns being left out in plain view inside cars? It’s a question on the mind of Arres and his department.
“I don’t know how to speculate why someone wouldn’t properly secure a firearm. Laziness? Not thinking they’re going to get caught? I can’t really guess. But what I can say is what we do,” said Arres.
Many of those arrested outside Topgolf were not Naperville residents, with some having previous criminal records. Arres said ease of access to the facility from I-88 could play a role in the increased criminal activity in the area.
“It is easily accessible from many communities and literally being right off the highway, could that be the reason folks are coming there? Yes. They could also be coming there for what I just mentioned, people love the venue, they love the setup, they love the entertainment value that Topgolf provides… It’s a great establishment and a great place… less than five crime calls inside that establishment in the last year,” Arres said.
Arres said no businesses along the I-88 corridor have reached out to the NPD about policing in the area.
Naperville police have also found open containers of alcohol, as well as drugs in cars during searches, which Krakow said has led to six arrests outside Topgolf in the last year. Arres detailed there is no known connection between all the arrests.
Topgolf did not respond to a request for comment.
Officers find handgun, cannabis in car outside Topgolf
The most recent arrest outside Naperville’s Topgolf took place the night of Aug. 30.
During a routine foot patrol, Naperville officers detected an odor of cannabis from a parked car, according to Krakow.
There was no one inside the car at the time, but police say they saw a handgun in plain view in the vehicle. When the car’s owner, Calumet Park’s Demonte G. Dennis, returned to his vehicle, he was detained.
Krakow said Dennis had a Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card but did not have a Concealed Carry License (CCL). He was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of cannabis.
Arres says city gun-related arrest numbers going down
Despite the influx of incidents outside Topgolf, Arres says gun-related arrests in Naperville have been trending down.
“In 2022, if you take the average out, it’s about 12 gun arrests per month, 2023 that dropped to 10, and actually in 2024, we’ve averaged nine gun arrests per month, so actually, the numbers are going down,” Arres said. “Not as fast as I or anyone in this community would like but we’re going to continue proactively patrolling this with the hope that those gun-related arrests are zero.”
The chief said the NPD holds an open dialogue with Topgolf on maintaining public safety throughout the facility with its patrols.
“Whether it’s downtown, other business, or other areas, we’re going to be walking around and we’re going to be checking for illegal activity… that’s what this community wants, that’s what our elected officials want.”
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