Friday Apr. 3, 2020   |   View in browser

Weekly Deployment Meeting Highlights

Police Beat:  In the Wake of COVID-19

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

Signs of hope are everywhere.

Surreal.  This is how most people I know are describing Life as We Know It Now. The walls starting to close in a little.  A walk along the lake instead of a weekend out of town. A losing battle against boredom. Resisting the impulse to hug an old friend. Old dogs learning new tricks like Zoom, FaceTime and Google Hangouts. Maintaining distance while struggling to stay connected.

But for some - essential workers and first responders, for instance - working from home isn’t an option. So, here on Day 13 of our Stay at Home Order (that really felt like it began a few days before the official decree), I wondered how the work lives of police officers were different as “serve and protect” took on a slightly different meaning.

Sure, crime was down (from what I could see) with so many watchful residents at home, but what never-before tasks had emerged?

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We will continue to publish This Week’s Crime map, but without commentary. If there are topics of interest to you, please send them our way.  

We Never Close

These individuals – sworn officers and civilian staff of the EPD – were interviewed between April 1 and April 2, 2020.

Jason Garner

Commander, Community Strategies, 20 years with the EPD

“My typical job duties have definitely changed as a result of the declared COVID-19 state-of-emergency. 

Attending community meetings was a regular occurrence for our unit, as was leading group outreach activities, such as the Citizen Police Academy (CPA), Officer and Gentleman Academy (OGA), Police Explorers and so many others. But now, we’ve followed the City's lead in cancelling or postponing those types of activities in order to combat the spread of the virus.  If we’re working to problem-solve an ongoing issue in the community, we do so while keeping social distancing in mind. 

Using available media, we’re doing our best to educate the public on the Governor's Executive Order, as evidenced by our recent video on the topic and press releases.  Of course, we’ve made compliance with the Order a high priority while on patrol in the community. 

While we may have missed one issue early on, we've gotten back on track, continuing to publish In The Squad Room.”

Brian Henry

Commander, Investigative Services, 19 years with the EPD

“Officers have been instructed to actively patrol parks and encourage folks to be mindful of social distancing, and in the event that they are not being mindful, to offer them a gentle warning. To this point, people have been very respectful of the officers’ orders.

Playgrounds are closed and many have been taped off by the city. This, of course, has not prevented some people, mostly youth, from using them. Again, a friendly reminder has been effective.

We’ve received many calls from concerned citizens who have seen folks violating the Governor's Executive Order No. 10 (the Stay at Home mandate). When officers respond, the subjects voluntarily comply. That being said, if pushed we will issue citations, but there hasn’t been a need so far.

Regarding PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment), we are doing good so far. We ordered supplies about a month and a half ago, just as the US began to see its first cases. Further, since the outbreak, the city has initiated its own EOC (Emergency Operations Center). The City has secured a good amount of PPEs.”

Gil Levy

Sergeant, Office of Professional Standards, 17 years with the EPD

“My duties, which include compliance-related tasks and professional training, have pretty significantly changed in the last few weeks.  All in-person meetings have been temporarily cancelled and the State of Illinois has suspended all of its training for law enforcement. 

Lately, my days have been spent on COVID-19 research. I share the guidance and information I receive from the CDC, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the City Health Department with the EPD.  This can change on a daily basis as more is learned about the novel coronavirus and how it is spread. Right now, I’m working with the command staff and other supervisors to craft the evolving policies and procedures related to this pandemic. 

Another aspect is making sure that the department has the protective equipment we need. Gloves, N-95 respirators and eye protection are the basic types of PPE that are really essential for police officers. 

The City of Evanston pools its PPE resources. We know that we’re not the only ones who are having a hard time building up an inventory of PPE for the future so we are in constant communication with state agencies that are in touch with Federal agencies. Everybody is working together. A big part of the procurement process is handled by the City’s Emergency Management Team, but as far as getting our share, we have what we need right now to keep the citizens of Evanston and the officers safe. Do we need more? Absolutely.”

Timothy Messing, 

Officer, Patrol Division, 17 years with the EPD

“I love my job and I love coming in to work. But, at the same time, there’s always a threat and an element of danger.  In this case, the threat is invisible.  You don’t see it and you don’t know when you’re going to encounter it, so it creates a different level of anxiety coming to work.  That’s the unknown right now that every first responder is dealing with.

If you’re a citizen of Evanston and you encounter the police, what you’re going to notice right away is that the officer is going to be wearing gloves, safety goggles and possibly a mask (depending on the kind of information we have in advance of the call).  The biggest difference for patrol officers like me is the change in personal interactions with citizens; people have a natural inclination to walk right up to talk to us. It’s human nature to get close during a conversation, but we have to ask people to stand back for their own safety and ours. That catches people off guard. 

We’re still responding, of course, to emergency calls for service. If you need to speak to an officer, we will be there, but we’re taking more non-emergency calls over the phone. Bicycle thefts, motor vehicle and garage burglaries are examples of those. They are handled exactly the same way  - we’ll document the incident in a report and follow up just the same way we would as an in-person report.  We’re doing a lot more of that now, but when we engage one-on-one, we’re going to be wearing PPE.

The other big change is that we switched over to 12-hour shifts. It was the Chief’s idea to provide more coverage while giving officers more time at home to limit their on-the-job exposure.  That was a smart idea and it’s been very well-received.”

Perry Polinksi 

9-1-1 Communications Coordinator, 39 years with the EPD

“Besides following the recommended guidelines for protecting ourselves (frequent hand washing, disinfecting work surfaces, social distancing, etc.) we have adjusted schedules to minimize staff exposure.

Since the Governor's Executive Order was issued on the 21st, call volume in the 9-1-1 Communications Center is down and select non-emergency incident reports are being taken over the phone.

However, we have been receiving calls from concerned citizens reporting large groups of mostly young people out doors not practicing social distancing. As difficult as it is to ‘Stay-at-Home,’ especially with the weather improving, now is not the time to relax social distancing when the spread of COVID-19 cases is accelerating.”

Marianne Ring

Intelligence Analyst, 14 years with the EPD

“I've been at the Evanston Police Department since 2006, initially as the Crime Analyst for the Community Strategies Bureau.  My role was purely strategic - detecting and mapping crime patterns including public reporting of crime through the Daily Crime Bulletin.  Most readers of In The Squad Room are familiar with the This Week’s Crime map.  That’s one of my responsibilities, too.

In 2013, my position was changed to Intelligence Analyst.  So, right now, I partner with Intelligence Officer Giese to gather, analyze/vet, and disseminate intelligence; analyze and detect crime patterns; provide data to the Problem Solving Team for their Ward meetings; and assist with various data-driven projects for the Chiefs and Deputies.  

Most of my job is in front of a computer or on the phone, so working from home hasn't changed the majority of my daily tasks, even though I am now performing them with children present.   I'm still able to network with other law enforcement agencies through email and phone calls. My partner and I speak several times a day. 

Since crime is currently down in Evanston, I'm working on several projects that are not crime-related. One of these is assisting with the EPD’s application for the peer-reviewed Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, administered by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. The application process itself is multi-phased and labor-intensive; but earning the IACP’s accreditation will place the Evanston Police Department among the top law enforcement agencies in the state for best practices across multiple functional areas. Having the time to commit to it has been an unexpected bonus.”

Tracy Williams 

Sergeant, Traffic Bureau, 26 years with the EPD

“The Traffic Bureau normally inspects and installs 5 to 10 child car seats per week. It’s a free service that we’ve provided for many years to current and expectant parents. Social distancing required that we stop this service until the coast is clear for the safety of all.

I am a member of the City Special Events committee. We meet regularly with members of every city department to discuss upcoming  events. These events usually involve large groups of people that impact vehicle and pedestrian flow. Due to the virus, the meetings have been suspended and some of those spring and summer events are in jeopardy of being cancelled or pushed back.

The Traffic Bureau is working under the Mayor of Evanston’s State of Emergency Plan. We’re taking some crash reports – those where the vehicles are drivable and no injuries are reported – over the phone.  This is to limit our physical contact with drivers.”

EPD Video on the Executive Order

Got an Inquiring Minds question for In The Squad Room?  Email it to Commander Garner and we’ll do our best to provide the answer in a future issue. If you put In The Squad Room in the subject line, your question will find its way to me.

To stay up to date on local, regional, national and global updates on the Coronavirus Pandemic, please visit:

City of Evanston

https://www.cityofevanston.org/government/departments/health-human-services/coronavirus-disease

Illinois Department of Public Health

https://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html      

World Health Organization

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

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.