Friday May 01, 2020 | View in browser
Weekly Deployment Meeting Highlights
Reservists at the Evanston Police Department
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.
 Army National Guard in Lousiana administering COVID - 19 tests
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That there is a connection between law enforcement and military service is not surprising. But what I hadn’t thought about at all are the EPD’s sworn officers who continue their service as reservists or members of the US military’s reserve forces and the National Guard.
This sent me to the Internet to find out more about how these forces work, so here’s a cheat sheet for all of us:
- Reserve forces include the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy. These forces can be deployed anywhere in the US and around the world.
- The US National Guard includes the Army National Guard and the Air Force National; Guard. Members are usually deployed to the state where they live.
- Commitments vary, but reservists and National Guard members can be called up for temporary or indefinite service. In general, reservists commit one weekend a month and two weeks every summer to stay current with training.
- The essential benefit of having these citizen-soldiers is that they can be deployed very quickly and don’t tax critical mass of the regular armed forces in the event of war, disasters or other emergencies. COVID-19 is a perfect example. High-demand personnel, including medical personnel, have assisted in the effort to combat spread of the virus, administer tests, build temporary hospitals and treat patients.
In 1994, Congress passed the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) to prohibit employers from discriminating against reservists in hiring, retention and reemployment. Even so, research indicates that reservists may have a harder time finding civilian employment due to the unpredictable nature of their service to the country.
According to the Harvard Business Review, “A rough calculation suggests that in about half of all cases, reservists spent a year or more serving on full-time military duty, with the average duration lasting eight months. The military has relied more heavily on reservists than at any time since the Korean War.”
Luckily for us, the Evanston Police Department welcomes candidates with current military obligations. Here are a few EPD officers who were willing to share their stories:
Postage stamp from yesteryear recruiting for Armed Forces Reserve
Jarrod Deitrich, Patrol Officer, 6 years with the EPD
In 2012, I was commissioned as an Officer in the US Marine Corps. Five years later, I was deployed
Company Commander, US Marine Corps Reserve (Active)
“My experience as a patrol officer actually opened a door for me in the military. with a Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force in charge of conducting the security and evacuation of displaced American citizens in the Caribbean after Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma.
I was one of just a handful of Marines within the unit that was selected for the mission, based on my training as a police officer. During the 11 month deployment, I deployed to a total of 10 countries, 6 of them in direct support to the hurricanes.
Anytime you’re able to gain that kind of experience, not only in the United States but around the world, you’re better prepared to help any community you serve.”
Jacob Jetton-Gonzales, Patrol Officer, 1 month with the EPD
Master-at-Arms Second Class (E5), US Navy Reserve (Active)
“I have been with the US Navy for almost 10 years. I went to boot camp at Great Lakes in 2010 on an 8-year contract – four years active and four years inactive. I had an opportunity to go straight into the Reserves after my active duty ended, but I declined, deciding to focus on my family and attend college.
A year later, I missed the camaraderie that the Navy provided and decided to give the Reserves a try, so I joined in 2015. I was attached to a Pearl Harbor unit in Hawaii. Every year, I travel to Honolulu for my two-week training. If a national emergency happens and I’m needed, I’ll be deployed there.
My job specialty in the Navy is Master-at-Arms (MA); essentially a military police officer. During my active duty years, I specialized in anti-terrorism and force protection by providing nuclear weapons security for the US Navy, but as a reservist, I reverted back to traditional military police tasks. That entails patrolling, writing tickets, conducting traffic stops, providing relief to other MAs.
In some ways, it isn’t that different from what I did as a Chicago cop for two years before coming to Evanston. As a reservist, I was able to experience all aspects of policing, which has helped me in many ways.
I’ve always wanted to be a police officer. And I am actually fortunate enough to say that I am living my childhood dream.”
Patrick Wozniak, PST Officer, Community Strategies, 20 years with the EPD
Sergeant Major, US Army Reserve (Retired)
“I went into the Army in 1984, right out of high school and was in the Reserves when 9.11 happened. My unit was called in 2003, just before the Iraq War was activated. We were sent to Kuwait and subsequently Iraq as part of the invasion.
I did 13 months in Iraq and was back at the EPD for the last part of 2004 and all of 2005. In 2006, my unit was activated and sent back to Iraq. I returned to the EPD for the next two and a half years, but was called to Iraq in 2009 and 2010. My last deployment was to Djibouti, Africa in 2013. I retired in 2017.
Many EPD officers have had multiple deployments and like everyone else, 9/11 really changed the trajectory of my life. I was just an Evanston cop, doing my job working. But suddenly to change gears, put on a military uniform and get on a plane to fly to a desert 10,000 miles away … that was life-changing.
My deployments taught me patience, that there were some things that I could change and others that I couldn’t. Not just in the military, not just on the police force, but in life – you’ve just got to make the best of the situation and fulfill your role. Just do your job the best you can.”
Many thanks to Officers Deitrich, Jetton-Gonzales and Wozniak. They are among the numerous women and men that make up EPD's veterans of the US Military.
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.
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