Weekly Deployment Meeting Highlights
In the Squad Room - Shooting at Payne and Dewey
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
Police responded to a shots fired call at the intersection of Payne and Dewey around 12:30 PM on 10/25. There they discovered two individuals suffering from gunshot wounds, one to the leg and the other to the hip, who reported being shot at by two unknown individuals. The shooters were on foot when they opened fire on the two victims and subsequently fled the scene in a dark sedan.
Police were able to retrieve 9mm and .380 shell casings at the scene. Both victims were transported to Evanston Hospital where they were treated for their non-life threatening injuries. The getaway vehicle was located by the EPD some time later. Police have developed a theory for the assault and a full investigation is underway. They don’t believe the shooting was a random incident.
Crime Analyst Ring and Detective Tortorello noted three motor vehicle burglaries (all to unlocked cars); four bikes thefts, a garage burglary and two shots fired calls. Details follow.
Now the rest of the news.
Weekly Crime Map
Click to enlarge
Deployment Meeting – October 30, 2019
Discussed at the meeting:
- On 10/29, security personnel at ETHS observed an individual checking doors after hours on the high school campus. They later discovered anti-POTUS (President of the United States) messages in one or more locations.
- Sometime between 10/25 and 10/28, 2,000 feet of copper wire was removed from a building site in the 1700 block of Oak. This was the third such incident at the same location in the last month.
- A victim was approached by an offender in the 900 block of Chicago around 9:30 PM on 10/25, pushed down and relieved of her backpack. The perp was described by the victim as a slim black male between 20-30 years of age.
- Did you know that the EPD was a pioneer in what has been regarded as a nationwide commitment to reducing crime and improving quality of life through “community policing” strategies? Our early forays became a model for many law enforcement agencies and led to the establishment, among other programs, of our Problem Solving Team (PST). Now, Chief Cook wants to take that approach and expand it across all 165 sworn officers. Here, according to the City website, is what it means: “more personal contacts with area residents and merchants as well as providing a broad spectrum of proactive and preventive community services (attending neighborhood meetings/block club development, security surveys, etc.).”
- A 2016 Volvo was stolen from the street in the 2100 block of Bennett on 10/23. The vehicle was later recovered by CPD officers and Johnathan Peoples was arrested.
- Habitual petty criminal Parker Cavalier was arrested on 10/24, this time for assault stemming from a domestic dispute. Cavalier was on parole and his parole was violated due to this incident.
- Some of you may recall the report of an individual, dressed in NU clothing, who attempted to kiss women on the university campus earlier this year. He was later identified as Valando Dixon. Last week, he was arrested by the CPD and charged with criminal trespass in their jurisdiction. He is being held at Cook County Jail.
- Traffic Sgt. Williams said that last week’s Wildcats vs. Hawkeyes game, at least from a traffic perspective, went off without incident. The next NU game pits the Wildcats against Purdue’s Boilermakers and is scheduled for 11/9 at 11 AM. He also reported a traffic crash in the 600 block of Chicago on 10/25 when a vehicle jumped a parking lot curb in the 600 block of Chicago and trapped a pedestrian underneath it. The injured person sustained a leg fracture and was taken to St. Francis Hospital.
- Death investigations last week: Two, both attributed to natural causes. First responders from the EFD (Evanston Fire Department) assisted the EPD in reviving an overdose victim during the deployment period.
- Assistant Communications Coordinator Kuempel reported six Text-a-Tips last week: possible identification of 10/25 shooters (1), domestic disturbance (1), noise complaint (1), illegal parking (1) and, of course, two more Des Plaines tips. All tips were dispatched to and handled by police.
- They were there: Members of the PST (Problem Solving Team) were in attendance at 1st/4th Ward, Police Explorers, CPA (Citizen Police Academy), OGA (Officer and Gentleman Academy) and Coffee with a Cop events. They also hand-delivered 5 citations for various offenses during last week’s NU Homecoming.
The Week Ahead
- Here’s where you’ll find the PST in the next several days: at FAAM (Fellowship of African American Men) and EPFF (Evanston Police & Fire Foundation) events. They will continue to focus on Beats 77,78 and homeless issues.
Inquiring Minds
Inquiring Minds:
Here is a question from reader K.D.: “I’m not sure if this question has been asked in the squad room newsletter, but when there are reports of “shots fired” - does this mean there is a confirmed shot fired from a gun or just a neighbor who heard a loud noise/boom and assumed it was a gun?”
Thanks, K.D., and you are the first to ask this question.
Shots Fired calls fit the description of your alternate theory – loud reports that result in a 9-1-1 call to the police. Patrol or other officers in the vicinity are dispatched to the location and search the area for evidence, usually in the form of damage caused by gunfire, bullet casings or even the presence of a shooter.
Most of the time, police can be at the scene within 3-4 minutes. And of course, there have been times when cops hear the shots along with the callers and arrive immediately.
Since cars backfiring (rarer these days in the fuel-injection world we’ve inhabited for several decades now) and fireworks sound like gunfire, almost all of the Shots Fired incidents investigated by police turn out to be the result of something other than gunfire.
Just this week, there were two calls. The first one, on 10/25, related to the shooting of two people near Payne and Dewey. On 10/28, another Shots Fired call was received. Police at the scene determined that the sounds came from a nail gun.
Crime Analyst Ring says that there have been 78 Shots Fired calls so far this year. Citizens should know that they are all taken very seriously.
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
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.
|
