Snoop Dogg made a cameo appearance in a Summer Olympics-themed Facebook post from Bartlett police. The village’s Facebook page has garnered more than 60,000 followers — 20,000 more than the town’s population — thanks to its wit and humor.
Courtesy of the Village of Bartlett
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct Bartlett’s Facebook follower count.
Stop by a typical suburban police department’s social media page, and you’re likely to find helpful advice to protect yourself and your belongings, news about department promotions and accomplishments, and perhaps some cute photos of a dog found wandering without its owner.
Then there’s Bartlett, where recent postings have included “Friday the 13th”-themed driver safety tips (complete with a Camp Crystal Lake photo and a nod to Jason Voorhees), a Summer Olympics reminder that there are no gold medals for speeding (with a cameo from the ubiquitous Snoop Dogg, natch), and a video skit of police welcoming fall by handing out pumpkin spice-scented citations.
Fall has officially arrived! To celebrate, Bartlett Police are issuing our *limited edition* Pumpkin Spice-scented traffic citations. But act fast – they are only available for a limited time or until Michael Bublé & Mariah Carey start to thaw out for the holidays DRIVE SAFE pic.twitter.com/j4GdnGVNnM
— Bartlett IL PD (@bartlettpd) September 23, 2024
It’s no wonder the town has more than 16,000 followers on Facebook and has seen some of its posts top 165,000 engagements.
“We want to create an emotional connection with our social media followers,” Chief Geoffrey Pretkelis told us this week. “We take our law enforcement profession seriously. But we don’t take ourselves too seriously.”
“Friday the 13th”-themed driver safety tips were a popular post from police on Bartlett’s often-clever Facebook page.
Courtesy of the Village of Bartlett
Pretkelis isn’t disclosing who in his department is behind the social media curtain — the mystery is part of the allure and keeps loyal followers guessing, he tells us.
Bartlett police used pancake ingredients versus a stack of pancakes in a Facebook post explaining the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning.
Courtesy of the Village of Bartlett
And while there is that loyal following, not everyone is in on the joke. A post this summer about forcing traffic scofflaws to listen to a brutally off-key rendition of the national anthem was picked up by national websites — including Newsweek — that believed the department might be serious.
“People in Bartlett understand what we’re doing with the wittiness,” Pretkelis said. “Sometimes, outsiders don’t.”
But Pretkelis insists there’s a method to the madness. Connect with people through humor, and they’ll be open to the message when you need to share something serious.
That’s important when there are so many other social media channels and media outlets competing for attention, he said.
“Life is kind of serious right now,” Pretkelis added. “I think people appreciate being able to laugh a bit while also getting important information.”
Bartlett Police Chief Geoffrey Pretkelis
Trucking trafficker
A trucking company owner who used warehouses in Naperville and Sugar Grove to help operate a Mexico-to-Chicago drug pipe has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, authorities said.
Jose Farias, a resident of Mexico, was accused of working with truck drivers at his Texas-based firm to deliver dozens of kilograms of heroin and cocaine to the Chicago area in 2015 and 2016. The drugs were hidden in hollowed-out wheel axles of semitrailer trucks, according to the U.S. Attorney.
Once in the region, they were unloaded at the suburban warehouses — along with an abandoned auto lot on the West Side of Chicago and an auto repair shop in Channahon — and distributed to local dealers, federal prosecutors say. Sale proceeds were then stashed in the trucks and driven back to Texas and Mexico.
Law enforcement searched the sites as part of their investigation and seized about 54 kilograms of heroin and nearly 17 kilograms of cocaine, as well as $630,200 in cash, according to prosecutors. In all, the organization distributed about 130 kilograms of heroin and 45 kilograms of cocaine in the Chicago area, they said.
A federal jury in Chicago convicted Farias, 44, on drug conspiracy and possession charges in 2021. Seven other defendants also were convicted in federal and state courts.
“The drugs defendant caused to be distributed were resold to thousands of people, fueling addiction, tearing families apart, and decimating communities — all for the profit of defendant and his coconspirators,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Rothblatt and Kristen Totten argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
Calming canine
The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office’s newest team member, Crew, with handler Lily Andrea, left, handler Sayra Sanchez, State’s Attorney Bob Berlin, and handler Andrew Poncer.
Courtesy of the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office
The DuPage County State’s Attorney Office’s newest employee may not win many trials, and he’s ill-suited to argue a case in court, but he has a warm personality and a fabulous fur coat that just begs to be touched.
And both are key for Crew, a 20-month-old Labrador retriever, to do his job. His main assignment is to give emotional support to children who are victims or witnesses to crimes and abuse, as they cope with scary circumstances and navigate an intimidating justice system.
Crew took his oath of office earlier this week. He will work at the office’s Children’s Advocacy Center.
“We are all very excited and grateful to welcome Crew to our team,” State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a press release. “While I’m sure Crew will be eager to assist wherever necessary, his main objective will be to provide comfort, compassion and companionship to children as they turn to the Children’s Advocacy Center for protection and justice.”
Crew came from Duo Dogs Inc. of St. Louis. The nonprofit group trained him to work with vulnerable people. The group said facility dogs can comfort victims while they are interviewed by investigators, and provide silent support when victims are testifying in court.
• Do you have a tip or a comment? Email us at copsandcrime@dailyherald.com.