Friday Jan. 31, 2020 | View in browser
Weekly Deployment Meeting Highlights
In the Squad Room - Dent Nomads
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
 What the heck? 89 MPH in a 40 MPH zone, on McCormick during the evening rush hour?
Intelligence Officer Giese and Crime Analyst Ring referred to a ‘quiet map’ this week, populated primarily with motor vehicle burglaries (7), a single residential burglary and a garage burglary. The car break-ins occurred mostly in Beat 77 (the 5th ward neighborhood) on 1/25 and 1/26 during the evening hours.
All seven vehicles, the apartment residence and the garage were unsecured. Crimes like these are labeled Part II offenses (less serious, and often property crimes) by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Even so, they are crimes of opportunity that can easily be prevented by locking up.
Two-fer: Here’s an alert for seniors and a new term. First, the term: Dent Nomads. (This is even better than Porch Pirates.) Apparently, a two-person team is targeting senior citizens in large retail parking lots. They offer to fix dents – probably damage that the crooks caused – right there in the parking lot in exchange for money. Please tell the seniors in your life to avoid engaging with these individuals. And if the Dent Nomads are persistent, to call 9-1-1.
Weekly crime map
Click to enlarge
Deployment Meeting – January 29, 2020
Discussed at the meeting:
- Last week, we reported several incidents of tools stolen in work trucks parked at a local retailer. Additional burglary suppression patrols have been sent to that location. An investigation is underway and EPD detectives are following up leads.
- More than the legal limit: A traffic stop arrest on 1/25 in the 1900 block of Asbury netted 65 grams of cannabis during a search.
- On 1/28, around 7:30 PM, first responders were called to a scene where two individuals were found unresponsive from a heroin overdose. EFD paramedics revived the pair with Narcan and transported them to St. Francis Hospital.
- Police responded to a Man with a Gun call on 1/26 near the intersection of Darrow and Lyons at 3:48 AM. The area was checked and nothing was found.
- EPD officers were called to a death investigation during the deployment period. The individual had a history of medical issues. Foul play was not indicated.
- On 1/25, a 2007 Volkswagen, with its motor running, disappeared at 11:30 AM from the 2000 block of Emerson. It was recovered in Morton Grove later on that day.
- Efforts are underway, through a grant proposal, to secure the $4,000 it will cost to outfit our new K-9, Aston, with a bulletproof vest.
- Retail thefts continue to roil law enforcement. EPD officers will be working with retail merchants and their security personnel to develop strategies and tactics to reduce these thefts.
- No Text-a-Tips this week.
- They were there: Members of the PST (Problem Solving Team) attended 3rd, 7th and 8th ward meetings, in addition to OGA (Officer and Gentleman Academy) and Police Explorers sessions. They held active shooter meetings at several organizations and institutions, led safety and security discussions with administrators at District 65 schools, a retail location and a house of worship and still had time to take a Girl Scout troop on a tour of EPD headquarters. Animal Warden Pounds issued a total of 8 citations for dog-related violations (most of them along the lakefront). PST officers continue to attend weekly FAAM (Fellowship of African American Men) events at Fleetwood-Jourdain.
The week ahead
- On the docket for PST: a Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association (CPAAA) Board meeting, an active shooter meeting, Career Day at King Arts and a station tour for members of the Beth Emet congregation. Their unit foci are quality of life issues, particularly in the downtown area, monitoring the off-campus neighborhoods near NU and assisting with calls for service.
- Expect to see more traffic officers at area schools during morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-ups.
Inquiring minds:
I’m curious as to what the difference is between the squad car marked Evidence Technician and the squad car marked Forensic Services.
Thank you, Reader J.S. for this great question.
The answer comes from Forensic Services Manager Mike Wasowicz:
“Both EPD vehicles used by the Forensic Services Bureau are marked ‘Forensic Services’. That was a marking change made several years ago. The car (#56) that was put into service in 2019 was inadvertently marked with the old ‘Evidence Technician’ label by Fleet but that was quickly corrected.” (That’s probably the one you remember seeing.)
“There was a consensus agreement a number of years ago to change the markings to 'Forensic Services' because the vehicles are used by the Forensic Services Bureau. There is technically no difference between the vehicles and we currently have no vehicles marked ‘Evidence Technician’.”
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.
 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.
 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.
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