Friday, September 18, 2020   |   View in browser

Weekly Deployment Meeting Highlights

Every week, Linda Hansen attends the Evanston Police Department’s Deployment Meetings, takes notes on the topics discussed and writes about other police-related matters of interest to the people who work and live in Evanston.

CRIME TAKES A HOLIDAY

Reporting Crime - See Inquiring Minds

There are worse things than recycling an ITSR headline, but there just isn’t any other way to characterize the week. If not for three shots fired calls, three motor vehicle burglaries, a storage burglary and a car theft, there would be nothing to report (as you will soon discover). Much of this week’s deployment materials centered on crimes outside Evanston’s borders. 

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If there are topics of interest to you, please send them our way.

Deployment – September 16, 2020

• Storage unit burglary: On 9/14, police received a report of antique Christmas ornaments missing from a victim’s storage unit in the 200 block of Elmwood. There was no sign of forced entry.
• On 9/14 around 10 PM, a victim reported that a bullet struck her apartment window in the 400 block of Howard. CPD reported multiple shots fired calls in the area of Triangle Park around the same time. Evidence Technicians noted the broken window but were unable to locate shell casings. 
• Risky business: juvenile adventurers have been observed on the Washington School roof.
• Residential burglaries: Sometime between 9/11 and 9/13, a victim reported that $2500 was missing from her residence at 1331 Cleveland. Officers found what appeared to be pry marks on the front door.
• A 1998 Toyota was stolen from the 2400 block of Eastwood on 9/10. The owner reported that a key was hidden in the door.
• Chief Cook discussed escalating tensions between street gangs on the north side of Chicago last week that resulted in five individuals being shot (one of whom died). Rivalries between gangs in Rogers Park (Chicago’s 24^th District) have continued to escalate over the past 6 or 7 years. He underscored the need for EPD officers to be hyper-vigilant in their expanded patrols. Here are two recent examples: 
  • On 9/15/20 at 6:12 PM, a man was with his girlfriend in front of the Morse CTA station when an unknown subject began shooting at him. The offender ran to Morse and Glenwood, got into a black Infiniti SUV and fled. The victim died at St. Francis Hospital.
  • Also on 9/1 around 10:30 PM, a passenger in a vehicle near Ridge and Howard heard multiple shots being fired. He received a graze wound to his cheek, was treated at St. Francis Hospital and released.
• EPD officers continue their patrols at the Sherman Plaza Garage and the Howard/Asbury bus shelter where unhoused individuals have been congregating. EPD continues to partner with community social services and stakeholders.
• EPD takes NU to school: Kudos to Detective Giese and Crime Analyst Ring who are assisting the NUPD in setting up an Intelligence Bureau.
• There were three arrests for domestic battery last week.

The Week Ahead

• By now, all football fans know that the Big Ten announced plans to begin playing the weekend of 10/23, making the Wildkits’ first home game 10/24. Traffic and the Patrol Division are gearing up and awaiting further word.  
• Bike The Ridge is one of the few Evanston summer traditions that has survived COVID-19. This year, the event will be held on Sunday 9/20, when Ridge is closed from Howard to Church. The event begins at 9 AM and ends at 1 PM. Bring the family - and masks - for some healthy outdoor fun. Ridge will be closed an hour before and an hour after the event ends.
• Three new officers will be joining the ranks of the EPD this fall. One is already enrolled in a police academy downstate and two will begin their training at the Illinois State Police Academy on 9/28.
• Special patrols will be deployed to protect Evanston’s synagogues on the Rosh Hashanah (9/18-9/20) and Yom Kippur (9/27-9/28) holidays.
• National Night Out, a national campaign to build partnerships between communities and law enforcement, is scheduled for 10/6 this year. Plans are underway, so check here for details in the weeks ahead.

Inquiring Minds: Reporting Crime

Here’s a reader question: “I reported two separate events last year to officers. Is there a way to learn if there was ever any action taken?  As a concerned citizen, I’d really like to know.”

It depends on what’s being reported – whether it’s a police issue or a city services issue. Quite often, citizens don’t leave contact information so it’s almost impossible for the EPD to follow up with them. If a witness to a crime leaves a name and relays they’d like to speak to an officer, the EPD can usually provide a general update. Witnesses who are able to be identified and cooperate further, if necessary, are always the most helpful to an investigation.  

I wanted to know when to call 311 or 911. What, for instance, should I do if I think I’m seeing a crime in progress, like a fight? I learned to call 911 to be in direct contact with the communications center. (Of course, text-a-tips are a great way to confidentially let the police know about an unsolved crime or on-going criminal activity, like drug dealing, too. More on text-a-tips below.)

Most people don’t realize that 311 is part of the Police Department and it’s actually located right here at police headquarters. It’s really designed for city services – garbage pickup, broken parking meters, potholes and things like that. The staff is available from 7 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday. If the 311 caller provides contact information, the tracking system is set up to advise the caller when the situation is resolved. 311 should only be used for non-criminal inquiries. 

That raised the question of Text-a-Tip, a separate third-party program (from the 911 system) that lets citizens anonymously submit information about criminal activity such as: 1.) information that assists in crime prevention, 2.) information about ongoing investigations, 3.) narcotics tips and, 4.) ongoing nuisance issues. It should not be used for crimes in progress.

Finally, the 847 866-5000 non-emergency police line is another option. Unlike 311, it is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I learned that line is still open for people to call for police-related questions when they need to speak to someone. They’ll be connected to a service desk officer. Examples might be an illegally parked car, a lost dog or loud parties.

Cheat sheet:

Call 911 for emergencies or a crime in progress.

Call 311 for city services-related questions.

Use Text-a-Tip to provide information about a crime or criminal investigations.

Call 847 866-5000 on non-emergency police-related issues.

Reader Quiz:

911, 311, Text-a-Tip or the Non-Emergency line?

1. The sidewalk in front of my neighbor’s house is dangerously icy and they never clear the sidewalk.
2. There is a barking dog inside a parked car on a hot day.
3. How long is my Christmas tree going to be sitting on the parkway? It’s been a month already.
4. I just looked out the window and saw two people checking door handles on the cars parked in our street.
5. I’m getting phone calls from an organization that claims to be raising funds for the EPD. They even say they’ll send an officer to my door to collect my donation.
6. I think that a suspicious person is in our garage.
7. A noisy group of teens are in a park after hours.
8. I may have some information about vehicle burglaries.
9. I was bitten by a leashed dog when I was out running earlier this morning.
10. There’s an abandoned car in our alley.

(Answers: 1.311, 2.911, 3.311, 4.911, 5.Non-emergency line, 6.911, 7.Non-emergency line, 8.Text-a-Tip, 9.Non-emergency, 10.311)

Note: In last week’s Inquiring Minds on the subject of stolen bikes, we reported that stolen bikes are sometimes sold to bike shops. To be clear, reputable bike shops like the ones we have here in Evanston do not fence stolen bikes and work closely with the police on safety and security issues.

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.

Property Recovered in Evanston

Think your property may have been recovered by the Evanston PD? Click here to start your search. Be sure to check out the third party service that displays items found within the last 21 days. Here's the link.

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. Take a look at the Evanston Police Department Dashboard.

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.  

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.