Friday, September 25, 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.

Motor Vehicle Thefts and Key Fobs

Ticket to ride

Unless you drive a 21 year old car like I do, the chances are pretty good that yours came equipped with a fob allowing it to start without a key. Convenient, yes – but according to Crime Analyst Ring, key fobs left in vehicles have accounted for nearly all of Evanston’s car thefts. So far this year, only one reported car theft resulted from forced entry.

It’s a national trend. The number of vehicle thefts in which criminals used key fobs spiked 31 percent from 2013 to 2015, according to a 2016 report. During that three-year period, thieves swiped nearly 150,000 vehicles that way. And it may be getting worse. Keyless ignition was standard equipment on 62% of cars sold in 2018 according to car-buying advice site Edmunds. The EPD wants to remind residents to always lock your vehicles and take key fobs, valet keys and other valuables with you.

The week’s highlights: Six motor vehicle burglaries (all unsecured), two residential burglaries, a commercial burglary, a strong arm robbery and an uptick in package thefts, with four reported last week. Tensions between rival gangs in Chicago have required the deployment of additional tactical, patrol and traffic personnel along Howard Street, likely to continue in the weeks ahead. 

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

Deployment – September 23, 2020

• On 9/22, a burglar removed a screen from the window of an apartment in the 200 block of Sherman and took money. On 9/19, a crook or crooks forced entry to a residence in the 600 block of Wesley and made off with cash, watches and cufflinks.
• Last week, the EPD deployed high visibility patrols in south Evanston as a response to increased gun violence in the 24th District (Rogers Park). There were two shootings, both on 9/21. One resulted in the death of 17 year old ETHS student Arturo Munoz. A suspect has been arrested in that case.
• Package thefts begin to spike this time of the year, but they appear to be holding steady. Still, there were four last week: in the 600 block of Hinman, the 700 block of Chicago, the 700 block of Clark and the 300 block of Callan. In what has become a familiar M.O., all were taken from building common areas.
• Apropos of key fobs: Between 9/21 and 9/22, unknown subjects took a 2005 Jeep parked in the 1600 block of Fowler.
• Estimates are not available, but Bike the Ridge on 9/21 was a success, satisfying single cyclists’ and families’ hunger in the era of COVID-19 for a safe outdoor experience on a perfect day. Masks were mandatory.
• Burglars used a key to steal cameras and other photo equipment from a retail establishment in the 700 block of Howard between 9/19 and 9/20.
• The EPD received reports of shots fired on 9/19 in the 800 block of Judson and 9/16 in the 1900 block of Dodge. Police were unable to locate evidence in both cases.
• On 9/19, Wilmette PD recovered a vehicle taken from the 2400 block of Eastwood on 9/9. The 1998 Toyota was involved in a crash in the 3000 block of Barclay Lane (in Wilmette). No arrests were made. The same day, the EPD located a Honda in the 2000 block of Wesley that had been stolen out of Wilmette. These vehicles appear to be part of a pattern of stolen vehicles with connections between Wilmette and Evanston.
• Were these motor vehicle burglaries on your street? Then, lock your cars. Here’s where they happened last week: the 1800 block of Brummel, the 600 and 1000 blocks of Elmwood, the 1600 block of Ridge, the 800 block of Milburn, and the 1700 block of McDaniel. All of them were unsecured.  
• On 9/17 at 11:20 PM, patrol officers responded to the area of Main/Chicago where they found a pizza delivery driver bleeding from the face. He reported that he was making a delivery to the 900 block of Maple when two subjects approached, began punching him and made off with the food.
• There were two arrests for domestic battery last week.

The Week Ahead

• Two new officers will be joining the ranks of the EPD at noon on 9/25.  They are Jana Cram (formerly a Service Desk Officer) and William Mills.

• The EPD is working with Connections for the Homeless and the Evanston Care Network to distribute information about resources providing services to the city’s unhoused populations.

• Special patrols will be deployed to protect Evanston’s five synagogues and a Jewish community center on Yom Kippur, 9/27-9/28.

• 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 next week.

Inquiring Minds: Is panhandling allowed in Evanston? What is aggressive panhandling?

We have addressed this topic in past ITSR posts, but concerns linger, especially in downtown Evanston. Last week, members of the EPD conducted a meeting with stakeholders there and developed a presentation on “Panhandling and Soliciting’” which I’ll condense and de-legalese for you. You should know that both are permitted here, but that there are city ordinances covering both.

First of all, what’s the difference between soliciting and panhandling?

Soliciting is an act made in person on a street, public place, park, premises or residence in which someone seeks to obtain:

1. Orders or purchases for goods, wares, food, and/or services;
2. Prospective customers for application or purchase of any kind;
3. Subscriptions to books, magazines, periodicals, publications (for example, Streetwise), and
4. Gifts or contribution of clothing or donations to charity

Panhandling is an act made in person on any street, public place, park, premises, or residence in the City, in which someone requests (and not passively...) an immediate donation of money or other gratuity from another person, and includes seeking donations:

1. By verbal or written appeal; or
2. By music, singing, or other street performance; and
3. Where the person to whom the request is made receives an item or service of little or no value in exchange for a donation. (An example that comes to my mind is the Manual Alphabet of the Deaf cards that were sometimes proffered on CTA trains and busses in years past.)

What are the rules governing each?

Soliciting isn’t allowed:

• Within 20 feet of an ATM machine or entrance to a bank;
• Within 10 feet of a person at an ATM machine;
• Within 15 seconds after a person LEAVES an ATM machine;
• Where a NO SOLICITING sign is posted;
• In a sidewalk café;
• On public transportation;
• On premises before 9 AM or after 6 PM, on Sundays and holidays;
• In a public transportation facility, and;
• The solicitor is not allowed to repeat a soliciting request or follow a person who does not want to be approached.

(Please note that US Census workers are exempt and not considered solicitors.)

Panhandling is subject to the same rules, and adds that panhandlers are not allowed to:

• Be on premises before 9 AM or after 4 PM, on Sundays or Holidays
• Perpetrate a fraud or misrepresentation, and/or
• Create a danger, or threat of any kind to public health, safety, or welfare.

What is considered Aggressive?

• Touching a citizen before, during, or after requesting without consent;
• Blocking the path of a citizen being requested, or blocking the entrance to any premises, building, or vehicle;
• Following behind or alongside, or ahead of a citizen before, during, or after request (regardless of consent);
• Directing profane or abusive language to the citizen at any time before, during, or after the request;
• Causing a person to feel harassed, intimidated, or compelled based on words, actions, and environment (for instance, a dark place, in a deserted alley, accompanied by a group of people, etc.)

How many complaints has the EPD received so far this year?

Between January 1 and September, 10, the EPD has received 85 complaints from various locations in the city. Complaints tend to dip in the summer and peak in the cold weather months.

What are the consequences?

According to Commander Garner, “Officers have discretion based on the totality of the circumstances, including the complainant’s wishes. Voluntary compliance is the goal. If necessary, and if the burden of proof has been met, a municipal code citation (called a “C-ticket”) can be issued. An arrest might be necessary in the presence of aggravating factors or other crimes. Each act constitutes a public nuisance and a separate violation of the code. These acts are punishable by a fine of $125 or community service.”  

How to report aggressive soliciting or panhandling

Complainants can call 911 or the EPD non-emergency number, which is 847 866-5000.

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.