After cautioning students to keep homecoming pranks from going too far, an Illinois police department ended up dealing with an unusually large collection of evidence.
Plainfield police seized a huge supply of toilet paper allegedly intended for homes near Plainfield North High School, where residents had reported masked groups carrying out nighttime pranks.
“And yes… 650 rolls. We counted,” the department said.
Police showcased the haul beneath an “Operation Clean Sweep” banner and humorously assigned it a “street value” of $1,708.66. The display 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 said in a Facebook post.
According to police, officers handled double-digit service calls involving teenagers on both Monday and Tuesday. The incidents occurred during a two-hour window beginning shortly after 7 p.m. in neighborhoods around the high school.
Residents said homes and vehicles had been covered with toilet paper, eggs, ketchup, detergent pods and other substances. Police reported that groups of 20 to 25 people, often wearing hoodies and ski masks, arrived in several vehicles at once and “cause[d] chaos.”
Toilet paper hangs from part of a parked vehicle in a file photo. The image is unrelated to the homecoming incidents reported in Plainfield, Illinois. (Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The reported targets were not necessarily friends or classmates of the participants. Police said some affected homes belonged to families with young children, while others had no children living there.
“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 image is not connected to the Plainfield homecoming incidents. (Martin Philbey/Redferns)
Police also emphasized that responding to the homecoming incidents was diverting resources from more serious calls.
The department said 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 facing a mental health crisis.
“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 recovered. It also did not say whether anyone had been arrested or charged over the alleged property damage.
The Plainfield Police Department Law Enforcement Center in Plainfield, Illinois. Police 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 conduct could result in criminal charges.
“‘It was just a prank’ doesn’t erase the consequences,” the department cautioned in an earlier message.
Police said they were not trying to eliminate school spirit. Instead, they urged parents to talk with their children before the celebrations and pranks got underway.
“Have fun. Make memories. BUT DO IT WITH RESPECT.”
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