Story posted Thursday, January 21, 2010
OTB Parlor 6 Months In
Police Report Little Crime Since Opening
By RICHARD MAYER Assistant Managing Editor
Since an off-track betting facility opened in Buffalo Grove approximately six months ago, the Buffalo Grove Police Dept. has responded to very few calls at Adam's Roadhouse Sports Bar & Grill, 301 Milwaukee Ave.
According to Police Cmdr. Steve Husak, there have been five calls to the establishment all related to the fire alarm being activated or people locking themselves out of their vehicle.
"We have had no issues with any type of criminal activity going on over there," said Husak. "We have had extra detail over there during bigger events such as the Breeders Cup, but there were no issues."
There were concerns during a public hearing process last spring that there might be issues such as over serving of alcohol and fighting, but Husak said there has been none of that.
"We (village staff) didn't see anything to believe this would have been something detrimental to the community," said Village Manager Bill Brimm.
Village trustees Lisa Stone and Beverly Sussman were the two lone board members last June who voted against the off-track betting facility.
Stone believed an OTB inside the village would give the village a "bad image." She also said residents throughout the community were not given proper notice of that issue being presented to trustees and thought additional and better information should have been delivered throughout the village well in advance.
Stone is still not pleased six months later. She said the issues she had last spring were not necessarily related to alcohol or fighting but from a social standpoint.
"What gambling brings wouldn't necessarily be a complaint to the village or police department," said Stone. "People who go to an OTB don't have excess money. I enjoy gambling when it's done on occasion, but when you bring it to a residential area, it's easier for people to gamble."
Stone said village revenue totaling $2,500-$3,000 a month is far less than originally promised and she said allowing this operation went against what people wanted in the community.
"The people who did want the OTB, were typically connected to the board," Stone said.
There were also concerns that there wouldn't be sufficient parking for a large event, causing a nuisance for nearby residents.
According to Husak, the police department has worked with management in the past for big events and plans to do so again this spring for other events such as the Kentucky Derby.
"We have had traffic plans in place, and there were no problems," said Husak. "For big events in the future, the establishment will set up a plan ahead of time and any officers needed to direct traffic will be the facility's responsibility."
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