After urging students to keep homecoming pranks under control, an Illinois police department ended up confronting an extraordinary stockpile of toilet paper.
Plainfield police seized hundreds of rolls allegedly destined for homes in the neighborhood after masked groups were reported targeting areas near Plainfield North High School.
“And yes … 650 rolls. We counted,” the department said.
Under the tongue-in-cheek title “Operation Clean Sweep,” police photographed the haul and assigned it an estimated “street value” of $1,708.66. The seizure followed two nights of increasingly frequent complaints from nearby residents.
“Homecoming is not a free pass to damage someone else’s property or disrupt their quality of life,” the department wrote on Facebook.
According to police, officers handled double-digit service calls involving teenagers on both Monday and Tuesday. The incidents occurred during a two-hour window that began shortly after 7 p.m. in the area around the high school.
Residents said their homes and vehicles were hit with toilet paper, eggs, ketchup, detergent pods and other objects. Police reported that groups of 20 to 25 people, many wearing hoodies and ski masks, arrived in multiple vehicles at once and “cause[d] chaos.”
Toilet paper hangs across part of a parked vehicle in a file photo. The image is unrelated to the homecoming incidents in Plainfield, Illinois. (Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The alleged targets were not limited to the pranksters’ friends or classmates. Police said some affected homes belonged to families with young children, while others were occupied by people with no children.
“At this point, we are seeing property damage and significant cleanup, and residents are understandably frustrated,” the department said.
Toilet paper rolls fly through the air in a file photo. The picture does not depict the Plainfield homecoming incidents. (Martin Philbey/Redferns)
Police also emphasized that responding to the homecoming-related calls was diverting resources from more serious emergencies.
During the same period, officers assisted firefighters at a structure fire, supported Illinois State Police, made a DUI arrest and responded to crashes, intoxicated individuals, protection-order violations and a family mental health crisis, according to the department’s post.
“In short, we DO have better things to do,” police wrote. “So PLEASE, be respectful of your community and let us!”
The department did not disclose where the toilet paper was found. It also did not say whether anyone had been arrested or charged over the reported property damage.
The Plainfield Police Department Law Enforcement Center in Plainfield, Illinois. Authorities warned that destructive homecoming pranks could lead to criminal charges. (Plainfield IL Police Department)
Before homecoming week began, police announced a “zero-tolerance approach,” warning that trespassing, property damage and dangerous pranks could result in criminal charges.
“‘It was just a prank’ doesn’t erase the consequences,” the department said in its earlier warning.
Police said they were not seeking to undermine school spirit. Instead, they encouraged parents to talk with their children before the celebrations started.
“Have fun. Make memories. BUT DO IT WITH RESPECT.”
