Inquiring Minds:   OK, I’ll admit it.  I asked this question.   

For one thing, in my visits to EPD headquarters, I didn’t remember seeing one and for another, I’d once (actually my car) had an encounter with what the Chicago Police Department described as a “squadrol”, a term I hadn’t heard before or since. In The Joint is Jumpin’, Fats Waller says, “We’re all bums when the wagon comes” which also made me think about the not-politically-correct term I grew up with: the paddy wagon.  So here it is: 

Does the Evanston Police Department have a police van?

Yes.  In fact, the EPD used to have two of them, according to Commander Joe Dugan, but it’s down to one now, a late-model Ford (pictured) that can be found parked on the street or in the EPD’s sally port. 

Commander Dugan told me that it’s used mostly to transport prisoners from headquarters to Court, because like the armored truck, it is too big to drive around for routine patrol.  It is used for larger events and days such as Halloween and the 4th of July.  Including anything from large parties to street festivals and Dillo Days.  Then, of course, there’s the practicality of being able to transport a group of people without tying up multiple squad cars and officers in a situation where there are multiple arrests.  Occupants can be separated in one of two sections.  They are handcuffed and safely secured in place. 

From what I’ve been able to determine, police van, police truck and squadrol mean the same thing and they’re used interchangeably here. As for the origin of the term ‘paddy wagon’, not all the theories point to the ethnicity of 19th century New York policemen or the occupants of the vehicles.   The one I prefer suggests that it was slang for patrol wagon or patty wagon.  In parts of Europe, including the U.K., these vehicles are called Black Marias, a name that also dates back to the 19th century. 

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.

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. 

Applications are being accepted for the Spring 13-week Citizen Police Academy.  If you would like to learn more about the Evanston Police Department, take an active role in Community Oriented Policing and join the ranks of over 900 graduates since 1995, please visit the Citizen Police Academy webpage and enroll now for the Spring class which will take place Wednesday nights from March 1 through May 24th.

There is no cost to anyone who lives or works in Evanston. Getting to know your police force is essential in reducing crime, building trust in the community and serving the needs of the community.