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After warning students not to let homecoming pranks cross the line, an Illinois police department found itself staring down one very unusual haul.
Plainfield police intercepted a massive toilet paper stash allegedly headed for neighborhood homes after reports of masked groups targeting the area near Plainfield North High School.
“And yes… 650 rolls. We counted,” police said.
Police displayed the haul under an “Operation Clean Sweep” banner and jokingly gave it an estimated “street value” of $1,708.66 after two nights of escalating complaints from the surrounding community.
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“Homecoming is not a free pass to damage someone else’s property or disrupt their quality of life,” the department wrote on Facebook.
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Officers received double-digit calls for service involving teens on both Monday and Tuesday during a two-hour period beginning shortly after 7 p.m. in the area surrounding the high school, according to police.
Residents reported that homes and vehicles had been targeted with toilet paper, eggs, ketchup, detergent pods and other items. Police said groups of 20 to 25 people wearing hoodies and ski masks would “pull up” in several vehicles at the same time and “cause chaos.”
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FILE – Toilet paper covers part of a parked vehicle in a file photo. The image is not connected to the homecoming incidents reported in Plainfield, Illinois. (Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The targets were not limited to friends or classmates. Some of the homes belonged to families with small children or residents with no children at all, police said.
“At this point, we are seeing property damage and significant cleanup, and residents are understandably frustrated,” the department wrote.
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FILE – Rolls of toilet paper are tossed through the air in a file photo. The image does not show the Plainfield homecoming incidents. (Martin Philbey/Redferns)
The department also made clear that the homecoming calls were pulling police attention from more serious incidents.
Officers assisted firefighters at a structure fire, helped Illinois State Police, made a DUI arrest and responded to crashes, intoxicated people, violations of protection orders and a family experiencing a mental health crisis, according to the 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 say where officers found the toilet paper, whether any arrests were made or whether charges had been filed in connection with the reported damage.
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The Plainfield Police Department Law Enforcement Center in Plainfield, Illinois. Police warned students that destructive homecoming pranks could result in criminal charges. (Plainfield IL Police Department)
Police had laid out a “zero-tolerance approach” ahead of homecoming week, warning that pranks involving trespassing, property damage or dangerous behavior could bring criminal charges.
“‘It was just a prank’ doesn’t erase the consequences,” police warned in the earlier post.
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The department said it was not trying to stamp out school spirit and urged parents to speak with their children before the festivities began.
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“Have fun. Make memories. BUT DO IT WITH RESPECT.”