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Every week, Linda Hansen attends the Evanston Police Department’s Deployment Meetings, takes notes on various topics and writes about other police-related matters of interest to ordinary citizens like her.
In the Squad Room - Trend: Burglaries
Of
course it would happen that in the two weeks since the last Deployment Meeting
was held (8/12), there were numerous vehicle break-ins and residential
burglaries, most of them in Beats 76 (near NU) and 77 (west of the Metra tracks, from
McCormick to Church). And while the
Major Incidents & Accidents map was peppered with icons, there were no
violent crimes during this extended period, something worth noting in the dog
days of summer.
There
is, apparently, a market for wheels, rims and tires. The evidence? Three
separate incidents over six days, from 8/13-8/18, where all four tires were
removed from a 2014 Honda in the 800 block of Brummel, a 2012 Mini Copper in
the 1400 block of Cleveland and a 2003 Honda, in the 1800 block of Brummel. According to the Crime Analyst, Skokie Police
have reported similar incidents.
What
is the EPD doing to strengthen community relations? This is Breaking News. Read
all about it in Inquiring Minds at
the end of this post.
Now,
the rest of the news:
Deployment Meeting - August 25, 2015
Past Week:· ·
- Christopher Boyd was arrested on 8/13 during a traffic stop near Emerson and Dodge when controlled substances – cannabis and crack cocaine -
were found.
- On 8/13, a commercial establishment in the 1700 block of Central was
burglarized. There were no signs of
forced entry. A laptop, TV and Sony
PlayStation were stolen.
- On 8/20, burglars broke into residences in the 2100 block of Maple and
the 1800 block of Dodge by removing box fans and air conditioners from unlocked
windows. Two computers and a gaming system were stolen from the Maple residence. Nothing was taken from the residence on
Dodge.
- Three residences at a senior living community showed signs of forced
entry between 8/17-19. Nothing appears
to have been taken.
- On 8/19, a resident in the 2000 block of Ridge discovered a ransacked
bedroom. More surprising was the fact
that the offender was still on the premises and chilling on the couch. The
burglar managed to run off, but not before taking a computer and a pair of
boxing gloves.
- On 8/21, EPD officers stopped a group of four juveniles in the 1200
block of Emerson for a curfew violation.
They were found with stolen credit cards and suspected of ransacking a
nearby vehicle. Four days later, on
8/25, four teens were stopped on Simpson and Greenbay Rd. by the EPD and charged
with curfew violations. The M.O. appears
to include breaking into unlocked vehicles, stealing whatever is there and, if
a key is found, the car.
Looking Ahead:
- To combat the spike in vehicle and residential burglaries, PST officers
will leave a Crime Prevention Notice when they observe unsecured vehicles or
property beginning on 8/31. To avoid
becoming a victim, check out the EPD’s Crime Prevention Tips here.
- Sergeant Tracy Williams warns us – and he’s not mincing words – that
“the EPD will be out in full force to catch drunk drivers”. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over runs from
8/24-9/7. Remember that it is illegal to drive with a BAC over .08. Designate a
sober driver or call a cab. Unimpaired
drivers, please remember a seat belt is your best defense in a crash.
- The ESAP Coalition (Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition), is sponsoring a discussion with experts about the interplay between substance abuse and gun violence and explore how our community can align efforts to improve youth outcomes. A presentation
on Youth Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention will take place on 9/1 in the
Parasol Room at the Lorraine Morton Civic Center from 7:00-9:00 PM. It’s open to the public and free. More
information? Call Karen Finstad at 847
951 0109.
-
As the second week of school begins for more Evanston public school
students, officers will continue their morning ‘meet-and-greets’ with students
and family members. Drivers, be aware of school zone rules of the road. That includes stopping for school buses.
Inquiring Minds: “There’s a national epidemic
of tension and lack of trust between communities and law enforcement. Evanston prides itself on its diversity. What
is the EPD doing to reach out to citizens – especially citizens of color?”
For
the answer, I reached out to PST Officer Enjoli Daley. She is the point person for “The Law and Your
Community”; a new program offered by the EPD in conjunction with the National
Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE). Here’s what she told me:
“There’s
a definite need. Our citizens are very much aware of the situations in
Baltimore, Ferguson and New York. They
have questions and concerns.
Our
hope is that this program will open the doors to clear, comfortable and real
conversation. We want to educate our communities not only on what we do, but why we do what we do. It’s equally
important to give our officers a perspective of what citizens think and
feel. It’s easy to forget that we’re all
part of the same community and that we have to navigate these issues together
to solve them. Honest conversation can keep us moving in the right direction.”
An
outreach program like this one is not new to the EPD. What’s different, according to Officer Daley,
is the modular structure and a curriculum that can be tailored to the audience in
scope and duration. Including round
table discussions, role-playing exercises and interactive modules with EPD
officers, she hopes that participants will come away with a better
understanding of law enforcement and useful tools for interacting with the
police.
Schools,
houses of worship and community groups are invited to contact Officer Daley at (847) 866-5019 or by email, to discuss “The Law &
Your Community” or to host a session. Ask her who can benefit and the answer is
simple: “Anyone who wants a better relationship with the police and wants their
voice heard.”
Please keep your questions coming. Send them to Commander Joe Dugan and we’ll do our best to get you the answers. If you put In The Squad Room in the subject line, they’ll find their way to me.
 The ON-GOING GUN BUYBACK
PROGRAM allows Evanston residents to turn in an operational firearm to
police at any time in exchange for $100. Residents can utilize this
service by calling 311 or the Evanston Police Department
non-emergency line at 847-866-5000. A police officer will pick up the unwanted
firearm at the resident's address and present the resident with a voucher that
can be exchanged for $100 at the city collector’s office located in the Morton
Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.
Firearms should not be brought to
the police department, unless prior approval has been granted from a supervisor at the police department. An officer will call the resident after a request is
made for the officer to come to a person's residence and retrieve the firearm.
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 What would you like to know about what the Evanston Police Department is doing to fight crime? Let us know if you have specific questions or concerns about issues in your neighborhood. Submissions are always welcome at police@cityofevanston.org or by calling the community strategies bureau at (847) 866-5019.
If you’d like to receive Evanston’s Daily Crime Report by email, you can subscribe here or view the Monthly Crime Statistics that are reported on a yearly basis to the FBI by clicking here.
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 The Fall 12-week Citizen Police Academy class begins September 2, 2015. If you’d like to learn more about the Evanston Police Department, take an active role in Community Oriented Policing and join the ranks of 900 graduates since 1995, please visit the Citizen Police Academy webpage. Enrollment deadline for the Fall 2015 class has ended. There is no cost to anyone who lives or works in Evanston.
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The
weekly deployment report is an informational bulletin prepared by a community
member that keeps citizens informed about what police do on a weekly basis.
Information contained in this report is not to be considered as a media/press
release. Any information considered by a media source from this bulletin needs
to be verified by an official from the department. This can be done by
contacting the media line at 847-866-5026.
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