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Weekly Deployment Meeting Highlights

In the Squad Room - Healing Families in Crisis

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. 

This Week's Highlights

Fugitive Tortoise

Melody Rose, Executive Director of Y.O.U. (Youth & Opportunity United) was present at the meeting to explain the many helpful resources available to Evanston families in crisis.  The organization focuses on youth between the ages of 11-17, and offers a host of services, including early intervention, safety plans and temporary placements – all geared toward resolving conflicts and re-unifying families.

Y.O.U. operates a 24-hour hotline, serving over 1,600 youth, reaching over 4,000 family members each year through afterschool and summer learning programs, clinical counseling, street outreach, and family engagement. The EPD and Y.O.U. have worked together since its founding in 1971. 

Humboldt Park may have had Chance the Snapper, but we had our own reptile on the loose. On 7/11, officers apprehended the land-lubbing (as they all are) tortoise and were able to return it to its owner.

Crime Analyst Ring and Detective Tortorello noted many property crimes (but few violent crimes) during the deployment period. There were seven bike thefts, three residential burglaries and five motor vehicle break-ins. Details follow.

Now the rest of the news. 

Weekly Crime Map

Click to enlarge

Deployment Meeting – July 17, 2019 

Discussed at the meeting:

• Six of the seven bike thefts during the period involved bikes that were secured to bike racks. According to Crime Analyst Ring, most thefts occur on Saturdays.  She also mentioned the fact that even multiple and ‘failsafe’ locking devices are no match for determined thieves looking to boost high-end bicycles. If you can bring your bike inside, do it.
• During the deployment period, there was three residential burglaries – in the 3100 block of Simpson, the 1900 block of Sherman and the 2100 block of Harrison – all multi-unit buildings. Burglars were able to enter residences through unlocked doors and windows.
• Text-a-Tips for the week: Lewd conduct at a coffee shop, Suspicious Persons, report of group arguing at Clark Street Beach, and a complaint about where the Armored Car was parked.
• For the past several months, officers in almost all of the EPD bureaus have participated in a highly successful saturation campaign, patrolling Howard Street from the CTA station to Dodge. There has been a dearth of violent crime along the corridor that separates Evanston from Chicago. Intensified police presence will remain in force for the foreseeable future.
• Residents of a home in the 2100 block of Harrison noticed two safes, containing jewelry and other valuables, missing. According to the report, numerous workers had been in the home since late December.
• Details sketchy: Sometimes, as happened this week, the report of an armed robbery turns out to be a probable drug rip. Here’s how that goes: a victim agrees to meet a seller, who - instead of delivering the goods - may or may not threaten the buyer and takes off with the cash. Detectives tend to figure this out right away when a) video surveillance suggests a different scenario and b) the victim’s story keeps changing.
• With nearly triple-digit temperatures expected over the next few days, some discussion ensued about the City’s eight cooling centers. Chief Cook added a ninth – EPD headquarters – and reminded the group to check on elderly or disabled friends, neighbors and relatives. For information on locations and extended hours, call 3-1-1.
• As an element in tamping down violent crime on the south end of town, the EPD has initiated meetings and strategy sessions with commanders and bureau chiefs in Chicago’s 24^th District (Rogers Park). Last week’s meeting resulted in agreements to schedule outdoor roll calls along Howard Street, link the 24^th District’s security cameras to Evanston’s and develop a platform to share police bulletins in an effort to improve safety on both sides of the border.
• Between 7/12 and 7/15, thieves broke into a construction trailer on the ETHS campus and made off with power and other tools valued at over $6,000.
• Sgt. Williams from the Traffic Bureau reported that his officers will keep up intensified traffic patrols in Beats 77 (Fifth Ward) and along Howard as crime suppression tactics.
• A loaner ‘bucket truck’  has arrived. This means that, with the assistance of the IT crew, many of Evanston’s security cameras will be rehabbed, replaced and expanded, offering more and better coverage throughout the city.
• We all know that the Armored Car doesn’t like frigid temperatures any more than we do. This week, we learned that it doesn’t like it hot, either. Here’s the reason: the interior temperature of the vehicle can reach 130-140^o, causing potential damage to the cameras and other gear inside.
• Deputy Chief Barnes mentioned that two officers have volunteered to be liaisons with Evanston’s Latin community. In addition, eleven officers have stepped forward to participate in recruiting operations at various job fairs and events.
• Primary deployment for the PST (Problem Solving Team) were foot patrols in Beat 77, along Howard Street, at stores with high retail theft numbers and the city’s many houses of worship. They attended Fifth Ward and Evanston Mothers Who Have Lost Children meetings, met with planners about the Armenian Festival planned for August and monitored the Food Truck Festival at Brummel Park, the Twiggs Park Neighbors Block Party and the Farmers Market.

The Week Ahead          

• Friday Night Lights: Members of the Traffic Bureau and other officers continue to meet bi-monthly with NU officials to develop traffic control tactics for Friday night football games at Ryan Field.
• What’s next for the PST: More ‘walk and talks’ around town, plus 9^th Ward, Evanston Public Library meetings, a Mason Park book reading, Thursday Night Live and the Farmers Market. Commander Henry mentioned that four warnings were given out to cyclists riding on sidewalks downtown last week and that citations will be issued going forward. Bikes on sidewalks continue to be a safety issue for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians.

Inquiring Minds

Inquiring Minds:  At a traffic stop, the squad car is half a car’s width into traffic, rather than directly behind the stopped vehicle. Why?

Our expert this week is Officer Samson from the Traffic Bureau. Here’s his response:

“It may seem counterintuitive for a squad car to be one-half a car width into traffic but that's exactly how law enforcement officers are trained to conduct traffic stops. By positioning the squad car "off-center left" with its emergency lights activated to alert other motorists, a "safety lane" is created whereby the officer can safely approach the stopped vehicle and return to the squad car on foot.

Sergeant Williams' Tahoe "off-center left" creating a "safety lane"

Without a safety lane, the chances of passing vehicles colliding with the officer upon exiting the squad car or walking on or adjacent to the roadway greatly increases. Unfortunately, proper positioning does not prevent collisions with a squad car behind a stopped vehicle at a traffic stop. Search for "traffic stop car crash" on YouTube to watch how often and easily this happens, and that's why we have Scott's Law in Illinois but that's for another time.

Thanks for the question!”

We need more questions...from you...the COMMUNITY! Email them to Commander Glew and we’ll do our best to provide the answers. If you put In The Squad Room in the subject line, they’ll find their way to me.

Gun Buyback Program

The Ongoing 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.

Crime Reports

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.   Subscribe to Evanston’s Daily Crime Report by email or view the Monthly Crime Statistics that are reported on a yearly basis to the FBI.

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.   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.

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.