Friday, January 15, 2021 | View in browser
Weekly Deployment Meeting Highlights
Crime Overtime
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.
Click for a link to the video.
In addition to the fact that the shooting spree perpetuated by Jason Nightengale put Evanston on the national news, the bump we saw in catalytic converter thefts became an explosion. It all happened in the same week.
By now, we all know about the random and senseless hours long killing spree on Saturday that ended with the death of 32 year old Jason Nightengale. Cook County court records detail charges and arrests dating back to 2005 for drug possession, theft, trespassing, aggravated assault, and domestic battery. Other crimes may be linked to him as well. An investigation, involving the EPD and the CPD is underway; both agencies are assisting the FBI as it looks for a motive and builds a profile of the gunman.
DO NOT PARK YOUR TOYOTA PRIUS ON THE STREET: Between 1/6 and 1/11, there were 18 catalytic converter thefts reported, mostly south of Church in Evanston (see map below). All but four were Toyota Prii (Note: Toyota made the plural of Prius official in 2013, it is Prii, pronounced Pree-eye). Officers in the EPD’s Special Operations Group say that a cat can be removed from a vehicle in a matter of seconds (not minutes) with the help of a reciprocating saw. Special patrols and other stealth tactics are being deployed to catch the crooks. In the meantime, if you, your friends, family or neighbors own a Prius, spread the word.
Last week also served up three armed robberies, three package thefts and two car thefts. No residential or commercial burglaries were reported. Details follow.
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Deployment Notes – January 14, 2021
- Joyride: A 2012 Hyundai Sonata, left running, was stolen from the 100 block of Ashland at 4 PM on 1/11. Seven hours later, it was recovered in 1600 block (Chicago side) of Howard.
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Robberies: The second CTA South Boulevard station robbery and the fourth CTA station robbery since 12/1, a man was robbed of cash by four juveniles as he left the station on 1/13. Detectives have distributed a bulletin with images from a surveillance video of the offenders. On 1/12, a woman was walking north in the 1000 block of Chicago around 3 PM when she was approached by an unknown male who tried to snatch her purse. She attempted to fight back but was knocked down, and her purse was taken. The offender fled in a vehicle she was able to describe to the police. On 1/10 around 10 PM, a man told police that he and friends were driving through Evanston on their way to Chicago. The victim was in the 1800 block of Madison with the car windows down when the vehicle was approached by two unknown subjects. One said he had a gun and reached into the car, stealing the victim’s iPhone. The man was struck in the face by the offender.
- In the early morning hours on 1/11, patrol units responded to the 2000 block of Keeney for a shots fired call and located a spent shell casing.
- Three early morning incidents of indecent exposure between 1/10 and 1/11 in the 900 blocks of Judson and Hinman resulted in the arrest of Trevaughn Adams.
- Road rage: A victim reported that when he was cut off by another driver in the 2400 block of Main at 3 PM on 1/10, the offending driver got out of his car and displayed a handgun. The man was able to drive away without incident.
- On 1/8, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police certified that the EPD met the federal use of force eligibility requirements set forth by the U.S. Department of Justice. The standards for certification requires that 1) applying agencies maintains use of force policies that adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws and 2) practices use of force policies that prohibit the use of choke holds, except in situations where the use of deadly force is allowed by law.
- Peeping Tom incidents have hopefully come to an end with the 1/6 arrest of Michael Clarke in the 300 block of Custer. Residents had reported multiple incidents over the last several months. He was charged with one count of stalking.
- Community Strategies officers dealt with more complaints and issues relating to nuisance properties and neighborhood disturbances during this period. Members attended the 2nd Ward meeting.
The Week Ahead
- Expect to see EPD officers out on patrol for Inauguration Day.
- Make that call: The EPD is in the final stages of Tier 2 accreditation through the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ILEAP). ILEAP assessors will complete the process at EPD HQs for an on-site assessment on 1/20 and 1/21. If you’d like to participate in the process, you’re invited to 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 Illinois Association of Chief of Police.
From time to time, the EPD posts short crime prevention videos on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, but recently, several surrounding law enforcement agencies joined forces with us to thwart motor vehicle, residential and commercial burglars on the North Shore. The result, just in time for the New Year, was Lock Your Doors North Shore.
What started as an idea from EPD Commander Glew in late 2020 ended up involving police departments in Glencoe, Glenview, Lincolnwood, Niles, Northfield and Wilmette. Officer Enjoli Daley stepped in to develop the concept, write the script, then shoot and edit the 1:51 minute video.
In Evanston, motor vehicle burglaries, as an example, account for the largest percentage of property crimes. And we’re not alone. While our close proximity to Chicago and easy access along the CTA lines has probably made us easy prey, our neighbors are not immune. “The idea,” Officer Daley told me, “was based on the fact that all of our communities experience burglaries and oftentimes unlocked entry points play a significant role. If we all work to encourage the public to lock their doors, it helps to harden each community as a potential target. What affects Wilmette can affect Evanston and vice versa.” Lincolnwood Chief of Police Jay Parrott agreed: “It’s important to work collaboratively on public safety messages when we share similar problems or issues.”
For some participants, it was an opportunity to explore the power of social media. Officer Stephanie Hofer of the Niles Police Department (that’s her in the opening segment) is an enthusiast. “The more we work together, the more people we’ll reach, so I’d like to see more campaigns like this one.” In an era where the printed word has fallen prey to ‘edutainment’, she agreed that “videos have the power to engage people. And in this case, I think that featuring multiple officers from multiple agencies is more interesting to viewers.”
The campaign included flyers, like the one featured at the beginning of this issue, that were customized for the participating agencies. Will we see more of these? Officer Daley hopes so. "We've never done anything like this, and I haven't really seen too many other departments do something like this. So that's pretty cool.”
Will we see a reduction in the kind of opportunistic burglaries that result from unlocked doors? Let’s hope.
Thanks to Officer Hofer, Police Chief Parrott and Officer Daley for their contributions to this post.
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 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.
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