Loitering Roadies Alarmed Darien Shopping Center

DARIEN, IL – For more than two weeks this summer, Darien police struggled to stop a national company's contract delivery drivers from using a local shopping center's parking lot.

Store managers told police that their employees were uncomfortable with the congregations of drivers.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained the police's correspondence on the matter.

The problem was at Darien Towne Center, which includes Walmart and Home Depot.

The delivery drivers have an Uber-like relationship with UPS-owned Roadie, which matches gig drivers with deliveries.

At a City Council meeting earlier this month, Police Chief Greg Thomas said Roadie's app told the drivers to use the parking lot in question.

Delivery drivers are seen sitting on a curb during the summer at Darien Towne Center. They were believed to be with UPS-owned Roadie. (Darien Police Department)

But Roadie spokesperson Jessica Nelson declined to confirm that fact in response to Patch.

"Drivers using the Roadie platform are independent and responsible for complying with local parking rules," she said in an email. "When concerns were raised in Darien, we worked with local officials to address them. Since then, the situation has improved."

On July 23, Oakbrook Terrace-based Mid-America Asset Management, the shopping center's property management firm, contacted police. A Mid-America representative said he had reached out to Roadie, but he wasn't optimistic the company would help.

Some of the drivers are there as early as 2 a.m., when Home Depot employees are leaving, said Michael Woolf of Mid-America. Some of the workers reported being uncomfortable.

"While I understand that these guys are trying to make a living, I always have to prioritize the best interest of our tenants and their customers, and ... it has become a nuisance and concern for them," Woolf said in an email to the police.

The Roadies were reported to be seen leaning on Home Depot employees' cars, the store's manager, Frank Panico, said in an email.

"No one wants to tell them not to when they see it for fear of what will happen when they go back in," Panico said.

The shopping center put up no-loitering signs.

On Aug. 5, Deputy Police Chief Austin Jump emailed Kristen Malloy, a Roadie manager, that he had not received a response from the company's customer service department.

She replied that Roadie had passed out flyers and included a message on its app that drivers should not congregate in the parking lot.

Over the two weeks, the police department reported issuing 60 citations to delivery drivers for parking there and another three for littering.

In an Aug. 5 email, Jump told Woolf that he understood how frustrating the situation was. He said the police had done everything they could on their end.

"We have continued our presence and enforcement, but at this point, we've exhausted all of the options available to the police department," Jump said. "We strongly recommend that you take some other steps to help resolve this."

Woolf said he feared the situation was getting worse and that the shopping center owner's lawyers may have to get involved.

In an Aug. 7 email, a police officer informed Bob Taft, owner of Q Bar and the shopping center that houses the bar, that Roadies were also congregating in his lot early in the morning. The drivers were known to litter, loiter and almost cause crashes, the officer said.

Taft said he did not know about the problem, which he said explained the litter in his parking lot.

On Aug. 8, Jump emailed officers to thank them for their work on the issue.

"While we're not ready to declare the problem fully resolved, your collective efforts are clearly having a positive impact," he said. "Today marked the first time in weeks that the situation has noticeably calmed down."

Jump continued, "I truly appreciate the way each of you has gone above and beyond: conducting regular patrols, issuing citations when appropriate, and maintaining strong engagement with tenants."

Jump sent his message after he got a positive one from Woolf, who praised the police department. He noted the absence of Roadies.

"I'm cautiously optimistic that it will remain quiet, and I know we'll keep an open line of communication either way," Woolf said.