Friday, February 19, 2021 | 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.
Popular with retail thieves: beer and wine
Last week, crooks, acknowledging sub-zero temperatures and 18+ inches of snow, took to the great indoors to commit their crimes. There were six retail thefts and a stunning total of 18 package thefts, most from the common areas of multi-unit buildings on Hinman on 2/13.
And that, friends, is just about it for the week. Details of other incidents follow.
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Deployment Meeting – February 17, 2021
- Around 7:30 AM on 2/12, a male subject forced open the security gates of a grocery store pharmacy in the 1100 block of Chicago. Later, pharmacists found a plastic bag full of prescription bottles in a pharmacy aisle. A store audit will determine if anything was stolen.
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Motor vehicle thefts: A 2004 Nissan minivan stolen out of Lincolnwood was recovered on 2/12 in the 2100 block of Pioneer. On 2/11 around 10:30 PM, an individual reported that his 2001 Chevy minivan was stolen in the 400 block of Asbury. The next day, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin recovered the vehicle and took Temika Maclin into custody for operating a stolen vehicle. A DoorDash driver’s 2015 Toyota SUV was stolen on 2/9 in the 2400 block of Main when he left it running to pick up an order for delivery. It was located by patrol officers in the 1800 block of Madison.
- Related to the rash of package thefts during the period, midnight shift officers observed open boxes strewn along south end roadways. According to a Commander, it appeared that the thieves opened the packages after leaving the scene, removed the contents and tossed the boxes out the car window.
- Video evidence revealed Lester Jones stealing a cell phone from an ambulance near St. Francis Hospital on 2/12. He was charged with burglary to vehicle.
- The week’s retail thefts of alcohol, food and personal care items took place at a grocery store in the 2400 block of Howard, a drug store in the 600 block of Chicago and a discount department store in the 1600 block of Sherman. EPD officers continue to patrol these locations and work with store management to thwart the shoplifters.
- Patrol officers observed a suspicious vehicle driving at a slow rate of speed near Keeney and Hinman around 3 AM on 2/12. The driver, noticing the police, hit the accelerator and fled into Rogers Park. No cat’ thefts were reported during the deployment period.
- A purse was taken from an unsecured 2013 Hyundai on 2/8 in the 1600 block of Ridge. It was the only motor vehicle burglary reported last week.
- Snow Patrol: Sgt. Williams of the Traffic Bureau reported that officers were dispatched around the clock to assist the City with the snow emergency. 133 vehicles were towed; 109 relocated. One stolen auto was recovered in the process.
- According to Susan Pontarelli, the 311 Communication Center was deluged with calls – about 1,000 a day during the height of the snow emergency. The #1 topic, as you might guess, was towing.
- Community Strategies (PST – the Problem Solving Team) attended a Homelessness Task Force meeting. They continue to monitor and mediate issues relating to people experiencing homelessness and quality-of-life concerns emanating from nuisance properties.
The Week Ahead
- Next week will mark the debut of the Traffic Bureau's monthly online newsletter. You'll be able to find it right here.
- Look for Community Strategies to stop by the Winter Games Ice Carvings at Fountain Square from 1-4 PM on 2/20.
- The Consolidated Primary Election will take place on 2/23, but early voting has begun. You can find more information here.
- There's still time: The Connections for the Homeless annual benefit Thrive is FREE for all to attend this year! This virtual event taking place on 2/20 at 7PM will have national and local performers, interactive cooking and cocktail demonstrations, and inspired story telling about program participants during this tumultuous year. Learn more here.
Almost two feet of snow had fallen by the time I spoke with Jana Cram, one of three brand-new EPD patrol officers. It was a good day for baking (she routinely brings treats to HQs) or craft projects (she likes to reimagine vintage furniture), but with sidewalks largely impassable, it wasn’t a great time to take her five year old Chow Chow mix, Zoey, (see photo below) for a winter walk.
Officer Cram and Zoey
This wasn’t the first time we’d talked. Last year, I interviewed Officer Cram when she was a Front Desk officer at the EPD. In the months since, she was hired by the EPD to fill an open police officer position, attended and graduated from the 19-week Police Academy and, just last week, attended her first roll call.
The road that led her to Evanston was direct, starting with a degree in Criminal Justice from Ferris State University in Michigan. “In Illinois, you are hired before attending the Police Academy,” she told me. It’s the opposite in Michigan. “There,” she said, “are three paths – the General track that ends with a Criminal Justice degree, a Law Enforcement degree which means the Academy is part of the curriculum, and a Corrections track.” Intent on moving to the Chicago area from an early age, she knew that she’d need to go through the Academy in Illinois to pursue a career here, so she chose the Criminal Justice degree.
Jana arrived here in 2016, intent on applying what she’d learned. Theory, as we all know, is one thing. Practice is another. “I started looking for jobs in the city,” she told me, “and the Front Desk job here at the EPD was the first offer I received.” She remained in that position for almost five years before an opportunity presented itself. After passing a series of exams required of all EPD police officer applicants, she was hired last September.
I wanted to know about the Police Academy that she and about a dozen others attended in Chicago’s West Loop. There were lectures, of course, along with fitness and self-defense classes, plus vehicle (learning to drive a squad), firearms, diversity and crisis intervention trainings. “It kicked my butt - in a good way,” she said. Her fellow candidates (9 men and 2 other women), including another new EPD recruit, Officer Mills, were there to support each other.
What drew her to law enforcement? “I’ve always wanted a career helping people. That’s my nature. I really want to focus on victims, people who are oftentimes without a voice, people who are intimidated or scared.” Eventually, she’d like to find herself in the Investigative Unit. The rotation of new officers as a training tactic in the Department’s bureaus will eventually make that dream a reality.
As for the sometimes fractious relationship between civilians and the police, she said, “It can be discouraging, but I have to remember that I’m here for a reason.” She’s hoping that the dissenters are just louder and not more numerous. “If I hadn’t experienced, firsthand, how amazing our officers are, I wouldn’t have pursued a career as a police officer in Evanston. They’re my family.”
Here’s what she wants you to know: “We’re here to help. That’s what we show up for each and every day.”
Thanks to Officer Cram for her contribution to this week’s ITSR.
Have a question for us? We’re always looking for reader input and suggestions. And starting next week, you can submit questions about Traffic. Just send them to Commander Garner, put In The Squad Room in the subject line and we’ll make sure to direct them to the appropriate person for response.
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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