Crime in Manteno, Surrounding Areas

By Melanie Holmes

Emotions run high in the face of crime. No one should have to face the wrong end of a gun barrel just for doing their job, but it does happen – as this area knows full well in light of the recent loss of Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic and the critical injury to Officer Tyler Bailey.

As 2022 dawns, it may feel as though crime is on an uptick. Just a week ago, Manteno Police Sgt. Sean Prophet asked local businesses to review their procedures in light of a string of recent armed bank robberies in Northern Illinois. Soon after Sgt. Prophet’s notice, a North Riverside man was arrested as a suspect in two of those robberies (BMO Harris Bank-Homewood and Chase Bank-Bolingbrook). These two hold-ups occurred in late December/early January, and there were others.

Having an interstate exit so close to Manteno homes and businesses means taking extra measures to be safe. Village government and business folks at the time I-57 opened in 1969 knew it would change the town, and it did. Different types of criminal activity began not long after it opened.

In what appears to have been a close call, my aunt, Vera Renchen, who once lived just north of the Eagles Landing/Walden Lake area on N 1000E Road, told of being followed home one evening after dark. This was the mid-1970s. Rather than pull into her driveway, she drove back into town. Vigilance was required then, as now.

Last April, a scam-turned-home-invasion occurred on the outskirts of town, not far from the on/off ramps for I-57. Men in yellow vests pretended to be utility workers and rang the bell of an elderly person in broad daylight. Once the door was opened, they forced their way in. The resident was not injured, though thoroughly shaken up.

At the time, this newspaper printed Manteno PD’s advice, as signs in town remind: “#9PM Routine.” MPD recommends developing a 9 p.m. routine to lock your car as well as double-check exterior home doors; the latter should be locked during most daytime hours. Also, since automatic garage door opener codes can be spoofed, the door between an attached garage and a home’s interior is what stands between you and a criminal – thus, lock it.

When crime collides with your world or that of a community member, we wonder: What’s being done to keep people safe? Working in a bank, gas station, or jewelry store clearly comes with certain risks. And it can calm the nerves to know that employers are engaging in best practices for safety.

While not every manager or business owner has solicited the advice of a security professional, all need to make solid efforts to protect employees. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation issues advice to this end. Some recommendations include: 24/7 security systems, high-definition cameras (with outside wiring encased to resist being cut), ample lighting inside and out, and appropriate signage. Signs such as, “Premises under Surveillance” or “Employees Have No Access to Safe” can deter a would-be burglar looking for an easy mark. In addition, any business where cash is handled should train employees on what to do in the face of a robbery.

Exactly one year ago, my own daughter faced a gun in her workplace. In Chicago, a man burglarized the store in which she worked, demanding cash and products. Could more have done before that occurrence? Yes. Definitely. Suffice it to say that security was stepped up afterward.

Whether at home or in the workplace, it behooves all of us to be smart about safety. Get to know neighbors and watch out for each other. And always, if you see something, say something.