A 17-year-old boy is facing local ordinance violations in Morton Grove after several gay pride signs were reported stolen from planters at three intersections in the city, including on Dempster Street.
The juvenile is not identified by name because of his age.
In a June 18 Morton Grove Police Department news release, authorities stated that earlier this month it was reported that 12 pride signs were stolen or damaged from planters from May 31 to June 9. The huge public flower pots are located at Dempster Street and Menard Avenue; Dempster Street and Fernald Avenue; and at Waukegan and Beckwith roads.
In addition to the signs reported stolen over the nine-day stretch, four more were reported stolen June 10, according to police.
“The Morton Grove Police Department Investigations began a thorough canvass of the areas to identify any possible offenders and find any investigative leads. Working with local business in the community Detectives were able to view video surveillance in the areas and found two incidents of occurrence,” the release explains.
The 17-year-old is charged with breach of peace-disorderly conduct, Morton Grove police Commander Dominik Przekota told Pioneer Press.
Theft of the signs had caused alarm for leaders of a local pride organization that produced them and prompted the mayor to vow the matter would be looked into.
The signs read “Morton Grove Has Pride” and were created and distributed by Morton Grove Pride, a community organization started last year to launch LGBTQ+ pride initiatives in the village for the first time, according to its co-leader Gia Schultz.
“My hope is that some restorative justice is able to take place and this can be a learning moment. Morton Grove Pride would be willing to host the youth to do community service and learning with our organization,” Schultz told Pioneer Press following the arrest.
She asserts that the village has an overall issue with homophobia and transphobia.
“I hope that this youth, along with others involved with the sign theft and destruction, can learn from this and come to welcome all members of their community with love, respect, and kindness,” she said.
Morton Grove Village President Janine Witko had mentioned the reported thefts at the June 10 Village Board meeting.
“We’ve been alerted that some signs have been taken out of planters around the village, and specifically pride signs,” Witko said. “We just want to let everyone know that we take that seriously .. and we will take action.”
Charges against the teen came about a week after that meeting.
Schultz said Morton Grove Pride partnered with the village’s public library and park district, as well as the Niles and Maine townships, in distributing and publicizing the signs and organizing other events celebrating pride month.
A total of 250 plastic,18×24-inch signs with trees the color of the rainbow along the top were created and they sell for $6 each, Schultz said. She explained that local residents have placed signs and decorated their homes to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
However, the signs Schultz and some of her friends purchased and placed in 15 community planters on May 31 were damaged or removed in recent weeks, she said.
In her statement following the arrest, Schultz said the organization had mostly sold out of the signs, so the ones that had been in the planters won’t likely be replaced.
As of Sunday, there were no signs in any of the planters on Dempster Street.
Schultz said she had not heard of any other pride signs or decorations being taken or damaged in the village, and speculated the signs believed to be stolen from the planters were just more accessible because they were on the sidewalk.
“Everything we have heard has been super positive, people have been thrilled that something is finally happening in Morton Grove,” she said, referring to the organization’s pride month efforts.
Police Commander Przekota told Pioneer Press that Schultz reported June 9 that 12 signs were stolen from planters on Dempster Street, and Waukegan and Beckwith roads.
Przekota said the signs were completely removed or left broken, and there was no damage to the planters. He said even with the apprehension of the juvenile, the investigation is ongoing, with police continuing to review surveillance cameras in the area.
“This is the only time anything like this has happened,” Przekota said.
Schultz said she filed an additional police report June 12 when the signs she had replaced in the planters were removed again. She even found some of the signs crumbled and stuffed in nearby garbage cans.
Authorities reportedly obtained surveillance video showing youth on bikes removing signs, and even a motorist pulling over to remove one, Schultz said she was told.
The police news release explains that on June 3 at Waukegan and Beckwith, four teens on bicycles were seen on video surveillance cameras riding past and grabbing a sign from a planter. The sign was thrown to the ground, then another teen in the group rode over it on their bike.
Another incident at that intersection took place June 5, according to the release.
In that alleged theft, a male was in a vehicle was seen on video taking a sign, then getting back in his vehicle and driving off with it.
It was not immediately clear which alleged theft incident the 17-year-old cited is connected to.
The investigation into the thefts continues, according to the release. Police ask that anyone who has any information call the Morton Grove Police Department at 847-470-5200.
Elizabeth Owens-Schiele is a freelancer. Pioneer Press staff contributed.
