KANKAKEE, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A little humor seemed to go a long way for the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department, after it posted a picture on Facebook of a man wanted for failure to appear in court.
Every Wednesday is “Warrant Wednesday” for Kankakee County Sheriff’s police. The department posts notices about wanted fugitives on its Facebook page and advises that anyone who can assist police in locating them will be eligible for a monetary reward.
On Wednesday, the department posted a picture of Brandon W. Conti - a 25-year-old man wanted for failure to appear on a DUI charge. But who appears in the comments section, but Conti himself.
“I’m appalled,” Conti wrote. “Where’s my costume?”
So the department gave him one - a sailor suit with the word "Ahoy!" - specifically a costume inspired by the Scoops Ahoy uniform that Steve wears in the TV show, "Stranger Things."
“Done! We held up our end of the bargain,” a sheriff’s officer wrote. “Now, you do the right thing and ‘Sail’ yourself on in here and turn yourself in. Or, call us, and we’d be happy to provide you transportation.”
Conti agreed to surrender.
“That’s awesome,” he wrote with two laughing-face emojis. “I’ll be there before noon please have the paperwork done and ready.”
Police confirmed that Conti did, indeed, turn himself in later Wednesday.
According to CBS 2, Kankakee County Sheriff’s police Chief Deputy Ken McCabe said Warrant Wednesdays were started in August 2014, because police did not have the staffing to go out looking for fugitives.
The program has a 75 percent success rate, with an average of 49.5 days’ time before total resolution, McCabe said.
The majority of fugitives are wanted for failure to appear in court on some offense, which clogs the whole system, McCabe said.