By the time I arrived at Stan’s Donuts for Naperville’s “Chat with the Chief” event, the line was already forming. Residents stood coffee-in-hand waiting for an opportunity to speak with Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres and members of the Naperville Police Department. Some wanted to discuss traffic concerns and speeding. Others had questions about neighborhood safety, scams or quality-of-life issues affecting their communities.

What stood out most, however, wasn’t fear about crime. It was how much people cared.

At the front door, Kelley Munch, Senior Communication Specialist for the City of Naperville, greeted residents and helped coordinate the steady flow of questions coming in from the community. With the event drawing a packed house, residents were also directed to deputy chiefs, officers and department leaders to ensure everyone had an opportunity to be heard.

That accessibility and engagement became one of the defining themes of the afternoon. Residents weren’t just there to raise concerns, they were there to connect, ask questions and better understand how their city works.

For White Eagle residents, one of the most relatable topics was traffic. Arres acknowledged that in neighborhoods like White Eagle, speeding and rolling through stop signs remain some of the most common complaints. Ironically, he noted, many of those complaints involve the community’s own residents. “White Eagle is a very low-to-no crime subdivision,” Arres said. “The biggest issues we do in your subdivision are traffic-related issues, speeding vehicles and stop signs.”

While White Eagle experiences very little violent crime, Arres explained that property crimes such as unlocked vehicle burglaries continue to be among the most preventable issues throughout Naperville. “If people would just lock their cars, we’d prevent so many crimes,” he said.

His advice for homeowners was refreshingly straightforward: lock doors, secure vehicles and keep exterior lights on at night. “The best crime deterrent? Have your outside lights on,” Arres said. “Criminals will go to the next house if they can tell your house is well lit.”

He also pointed to the city’s “9 PM Routine,” encouraging residents to take a few moments each evening to check that doors are locked, windows are secure and outdoor lighting is on.

Another growing concern across Naperville is financial scams. According to Arres, online scams involving fake text messages, utility companies and fraudulent payment requests have become one of the city’s largest financial crime challenges. “Last year our community had $8 million in losses to financial scams,” he said. “This year, it’s already over $30 million.”

His advice: slow down and verify before responding. “If someone calls claiming to be a company or government agency, hang up and call the company itself back directly,” he said. “If the bill or whatever payment that caller was claiming is true, the company will have record of that.”

Technology also plays a growing role in neighborhood safety. White Eagle is among many Naperville-area communities using license plate reader technology at neighborhood entrances to help law enforcement investigate crimes when they occur. Arres explained that the cameras are not used to track residents, but rather to help identify potential leads connected to specific police reports or investigations. “If we know there was a car burglary overnight, we can work with the HOA and review possible vehicle activity during that timeframe,” he explained. “It gives us leads we may never have had otherwise.”

As the conversation continued, the focus shifted beyond policing and toward something deeper: what makes Naperville, and communities like White Eagle, feel different.

Arres, who began his career with the Naperville Police Department in 2001 and has spent more than two decades serving the city, spoke passionately about the community itself. “It’s the biggest small town you’ll ever see,” he said.

Each year, Naperville participates in a benchmarking group with similar cities across the country to compare crime trends and share best practices. Arres said visiting chiefs are consistently surprised by how safe, clean and connected Naperville feels. But he believes those results are not simply because of policing. “It’s the community,” he said. “You need engaged police, but you also need an engaged community.”

That sentiment resonates strongly in neighborhoods like White Eagle. In a place where neighbors watch each other’s dogs, collect packages while families are away and genuinely know one another, involvement is part of what makes the community special.

Some may call it nosy, Arres joked, but he sees it differently. “I would rather have that than a neighborhood where nobody cares,” he said.

And judging by the turnout at Stan’s Donuts, Naperville residents care deeply, not just about safety, but about their community and one another.