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Weekly Deployment Meeting Highlights

In the Squad Room - Ouch! More Reasons to Obey Traffic Laws

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

All things must pass. The cost of a traffic conviction just went up.

Weekly Crime Map

The cost of ignoring the rules of the road has just gone up. Sgt. Williams informs us that as of July 1, all traffic convictions will set you back $164. Those who want to avoid a conviction and are eligible for the online Traffic Safety School must pay a fee of $210 and complete the class to receive six months of supervision. Drivers who opt to appear in court hoping for six months of supervision will face a court fee of $254.50, plus the fine.

Then there’s this: Several state troopers have lost their lives this year on the state’s roadways; two were killed when drivers failed to move over and violated Scott’s Law. Public Act 101-173 increases the minimum fine for a first-time Scott’s Law violation to $250 and $750 for subsequent violations. All Scott’s Law violations also result in a $250 assessment fee, which will be deposited into a statewide dedicated fund to produce driver education materials to ensure the next generation of drivers fully understands the importance of this life-saving law.

Crime Analyst Ring and Detective Tortorello noted a week absent of violent crimes.  Property crimes included residential burglaries (6), bicycle thefts (3) and motor vehicle burglaries (8).  Details follow.

Now the rest of the news. 

Click to enlarge

Deployment Meeting – August 28, 2019 

Discussed at the meeting: 

• On 8/27, police responding to a call about two people peering into vehicles on the south end in the overnight hours. Police called to the scene were able to detain one of them, however, he was found without burglary proceeds.
• There were two shots fired calls – the first on 8/21 near Dewey and Greenleaf and the second on 8/25 in the 1700 block of Central. Police investigated and were unable to find bullet casings or other evidence.
• According to Crime Analyst Ring and Detective Tortorello, recent residential burglaries have similar M.O.s – most crooks enter through unlocked doors and windows. They also pointed out that break-ins on the south end of Evanston tend to occur in the late afternoon (after school), suggesting that the burglars may be area teens. North end burglaries happen later in the day or overnight are are likely committed by different  North End: On 8/26, in the 2300 block of Ridge, a bag and its contents were taken. Burglars entered through an unlocked door. On 8/24 in the 2100 block of Maple, also through an unlocked door, a purse, wallet, laptop and other items were reported missing.  8/23 in the 3000 block of Grant. Burglars entered through an unlocked door on 8/23 in the 300 block of Grant  where a purse, wallet, cell phone and accessories were taken.
• South End: All three burglaries occurred during the same time period on 8/26. Jewelry was taken from a single family home in the 100 block of Florence. Burglars entered through an open window.  Cash and credit/debit cards were reported missing from a residence in the 1500 block of Brummel where a door was left unsecured. Crooks attempted to break into a single family home in the 1800 block of Dobson, but were unsuccessful.
• According to Communications Coordinator Perry Polinski, the week’s Text-a-Tips included reports of animal abuse, a domestic dispute and a sexual assault.
• Eight – count them – eight. All of the week’s motor vehicle burglaries were to unlocked cars, trucks and SUVs. In most of the incidents, crooks made off with spare change, but in two of the break-ins, credit/debit cards (1) and medical equipment (1) were taken.
• Three bikes were reported stolen last week – one unsecured in an apartment common area and two that were locked to bike racks. (Read this week’s Inquiring Minds at the end of this post.)
• Primary deployment for the PST (Problem Solving Team) during this period were foot patrols in Beats 77 and 78 along with monitoring the downtown area for homeless issues. They attended an OGA (Officer & Gentleman Academy) outing at Six Flags and monitored these events: Thursday Night Live, the Farmers Market and the CommUNITY Picnic. Meetings attended included the CPAA (Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association), 9^th Ward and an OGA planning session.

The Week Ahead          

• When the Armored Car is parked in a shady location, for instance on Sherman near Oakton where it was last week, its solar panels are challenged. It will be coming back to headquarters for a charge in the next few days before being deployed to another Evanston neighborhood. 
• IDOT’s Click It or Ticket/Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over runs through the early morning hours of 9/4. Sgt. Williams said that 175 tickets have been issued so far. Details next week.
• Look for PST officers at the 1^st Ward, CPA (Citizen Police Academy) and Police Explorers meetings. They’ll also be on hand at the Saturday Farmers Market, the Mason Park Picnic and will be working with NU to alert incoming students to the bikes on sidewalks ordinance.
• The second annual Five-O Fitness event will be hosted by the Evanston Police Department, E-Town Fitness Club, and YoFresh. The event will be held on Saturday 9/7, 10 AM–Noon at E-Town Fitness Club located at 2401 Main. E-Town coaches will provide the 60-minute workout for the day followed by some healthy eating tips. Admission is $10 at the door, and you must be 18 years or older to participate. Proceeds support Curt’s Café. For more information call 847-868-8995 (E-Town Fitness Club) or 847-448-4311.

Inquiring Minds

Inquiring Minds: 

Here’s a reader question: Can a u-lock be picked with a Bic pen?

Executive Officer - Commander Glew was so inspired by this question that he took it upon himself to do some primary research in an effort to gain some perspective on the best ways to avoid becoming a bike theft victim.  Here’s his first report:

“We received several Inquiring Mind questions referencing bike thefts this summer. Probably the one question that applies to all bike owners is ‘What can I do to keep our bikes from being stolen?’  The specific question we received (above) gave us the opportunity to expand the question and engage all four of Evanston’s bike shops for advice and tips to thwart the thieves.

One question we hear pretty often is “Who steals bikes?” There are all kinds of thieves (some are professionals and some are just kids) and all kinds of reasons that bikes are stolen. Some bikes are stolen (as crimes of opportunity) because they’re left unlocked, some are targeted because they’re valuable and others are used for temporary transportation (and abandoned later).

All the bike shops had great advice, and some of it, as expected, was mentioned by all four. Each shop offered a slightly different perspective, so this week, we’ll share the ‘universal’ tips and next week, we’ll move on to their individual suggestions.

You're doing it WRONG!

Gun Buyback Program

Lock it up

• Use more than one bike lock. Consider using a cable in addition to a u-lock.
• Change your lock every few years or when the technology of your lock is becoming obsolete. This is relevant to our reader’s Bic pen question*. Once thieves become familiar with a mechanism, they develop the skills to defeat it (think McGyver with a Bic pen). Thieves are much less likely to have the skills to defeat the latest and greatest in lock technology.
• Lock up your bike even if it’s in your garage or the storage area in your apartment building or condo. (Many Evanston bikes were stolen from common areas this year.)

Invest in some hardware

• Outfit your bike with accessories (lights, odometers, etc) that can be removed when you aren’t riding it.
• Take the front wheel or the seat with you. Most of the time, your stolen bike is the getaway car.
• Use pinhead/skewer locks to protect wheels. These are available from all the bikes shops I visited.

Choose wisely

• When you’re not using it, store your bike at home (and inside, if possible) in a basement or utility room.
• If you’re storing your bike or bikes in a garage, make sure you secure them to something inside - and don’t forget to lock all garage doors.
• When you lock your bike to a rack or other structure, choose a well-lit, well-traveled location. There’s no secluded ‘hiding place’ that thieves haven’t considered.

One thing to remember: Maybe nothing can deter a motivated pro with a cordless reciprocating saw. The challenge is to make stealing your bike difficult.”

* According to Wikipedia, “In 2005, after it was demonstrated that the tubular pin tumbler locks used on Kryptonite locks could easily be opened with the shaft of a Bic ballpoint pen of matching diameter, Kryptonite changed their locks from the tubular to a disc mechanism, preventing the use of cylindrically-shaped objects to defeat the locking system”. There are several YouTube videos demonstrating how it was done.  The lesson here: If you have a Kryptonite lock of that vintage, you may want to replace it with a current model.

Next Week: Part II - What the Bike Shop Experts Have to Say

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.

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.