Thursday, December 31, 2020   |   View in browser

Weekly Deployment Meeting Highlights

It's Over

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.

Winter Solstice spectacle: the Great Conjunction on December 21, 2020

The end is here. We’re done with 2020. And though the holidays thwarted even our virtual deployment meetings for two weeks, there is good news.  Except for car break-ins (6), package thefts (8) and three robberies, it’s been pretty quiet here for the past two weeks.

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Deployment Notes – December 17 to 30, 2020

• Catalytic converter thefts appear to be on the rise here, Skokie and Rogers Park. The most recent attempt occurred on 12/27 in the 1500 block of Ashland. Thieves are after precious metals like platinum, palladium or rhodium that are worth about $200 to scrap dealers. Hondas, Toyotas and F-150 work trucks have been recent targets. Detectives report that it can take a professional crew less than two minutes to remove a catalytic converter.
• Calumet City connection: For the second time in a month, a vehicle stolen out of Evanston was recovered in Calumet City. On 12/26, it was a running 2018 Camry from the 2300 block of Howard.   
• A victim was struck in the head at the CTA South Boulevard station on 12/24 at 6:15 PM. He was using the CTA ticket machine when he was assaulted. The offenders grabbed his wallet and fled. This was the third reported robbery at Evanston CTA stations in two weeks.
• Not Santa’s elves: Four of the six package thefts during the period were from the common areas of apartment/condo buildings in the 1100 block of Grove, the 1700 block of Dodge, the 1700 block of Hovland and the 400 block of Sherman. There were also thefts from the front steps of single family homes in the 2200 block of Sherman and the 1800 block of Laurel. The week before (12/16-22), thieves struck apartment buildings in the 800 block of Ridge and the 2300 block of Noyes Court.
• A security camera captured the image of a thief stealing an iMac from a fitness facility in the 900 block of Chicago Avenue around 4:30 PM on 12/23. Detectives are investigating.
• Calling all skateboarders: According to a recent PSA, the EPD has received numerous complaints about skateboarding in the Fountain Square area and want to alert youth (and others) that City Ordinance 10-1-5-4 prohibits this and carries a $50-500 fine. More importantly, they’d like to hear from local skateboarders about their ideas in an effort to provide resources. Interested parties can contact: Officer McCray at cmccray@cityofevanston.org.
• Around 2 AM on 12/23, units responded to the 1900 block of Asbury for a trespasser call. Police made contact with Jamere Gregory who had refused to leave the premises at the resident’s request. Gregory assaulted the officers, and was taken into custody where he was charged with aggravated assault to a police officer and criminal trespass to residence.
• Units responded to the 1900 block of Foster on 12/23 at approximately 11 PM for an armed robbery. The victim reported that he was robbed at gunpoint in front of his residence while sitting in his vehicle. The offenders ordered him out of the vehicle and then threw him to the ground and kicked him, taking his wallet and iPhone.
• On 12/22/20 members of the Special Operations Group sought Hari Lele for an active warrant. At approximately 1750 hours, Lele was taken into custody at 5211 Old Orchard Road in Skokie after he fled into a local hotel from pursuing detectives. A loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun was recovered. Search warrants were executed on his hotel room and vehicle, revealing 22 grams of cocaine, 9.3 grams of meth, 1.5 grams of heroin, and several thousand dollars in cash.
• COVID and the holiday season limited ward meetings and events, freeing the hardworking men and women of the Problem Solving Team (PST) to assist with patrols and monitor problem areas to address quality of life issues.
• This isn’t even news anymore: There were four motor vehicle burglaries to unlocked cars between 12/20 and 12/24. They happened in the 1400 and 1600 blocks of Madison, the 300 block of Dodge, and the 1600 block of Chicago Avenue. A purse was taken in one incident, tools were taken in another and nothing was missing in the remaining two.
• On 12/17/20 at approximately 2100 hours, EPD received a call of an armed robbery at a sandwich shop in the 900 block of Chicago Avenue. The clerk sustained multiple minor lacerations from the unknown offender, armed with a knife, who fled westbound on Main with approximately $350 in cash.

The Week Ahead

• ‘Tis the season for Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Motorists will see an increase in patrols and traffic stops, along with additional messaging on the dangers of driving impaired and not wearing a seat belt through 1/4.
• The EPD is in the final stages of Tier 2 accreditation through the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ILEAP). The accreditation team has been reviewing EPD policies to ensure that they are in place and being followed. ILEAP assessors will complete the process at EPD HQs for an on-site assessment in January.
• Want to participate in the process? You can offer comments to the assessment team on 1/20 between 1 and 2 PM by calling 847 866-5086. Your comments should address the department’s ability to meet the ILEAP standards, viewable online at www.ilchiefs.org.

Inquiring Minds: What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding?

It occurred to me that, in what has been a pretty terrible nine months for most people, ending a year of In The Squad Room on a positive note might be more appropriate than explaining the difference between simple and aggravated battery. With members of the EPD’s Clergy Team a few keystrokes away, I didn’t have to look very far for spiritual guidance.

This week, Police Chaplain Rodney Greene answered my call and summoned the spirit.

“With the New Year fast approaching, people all over the world start to think about eliminating bad habits and developing good ones in order to rebuild relationships and renew hope. But most resolutions are seldom kept. We get busy, we forget and we fail.

But here’s something to consider: Making resolutions forces each of us into a moment of honesty about our need to change. We begin to examine ourselves, and when we do this sincerely, we realize we cannot be successful without assistance from a higher power - God, Muhammed, Confucius, Lord, Yahweh or whatever name identifies your super being.

So, with the divine assistance of whatever higher power is central to your life, I suggest the following:

1. Resolve to become more sensitive to others
2. Resolve to be kinder and more loving
3. Resolve to become peacemakers
4. Resolve to show more compassion
5. Resolve to be acceptable to all cultures
6. Resolve to realize your shortcomings
7. Resolve to change your lifestyle and yours alone.

During these long months of the pandemic, all of our lives have changed in one way or another. But it has also allowed us to realize what’s most important – our friends and family. If we apply these simple resolutions, this community and the world will be a much better place to live in. It’s up to you. Make 2021 the best year of our lives.”

Many thanks to Crime Analyst Ring, Chaplain Greene and Reverend Durham for their contributions to this week’s issue. And a safe, healthy and happy new year to all of you.

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.