Friday, July 16, 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.

Evanston Recycles

What is the Armored Car doing in the Dempster-Dodge Plaza parking lot? I found out at the Deployment Meeting.

For the past several weeks, the EPD has been receiving complaints about vehicles ‘doing donuts’ and burning rubber late at night there and at two other locations nearby. For the uninitiated, this involves driving a car in a tight circle while continuing to accelerate. It’s no laughing matter. It’s a public safety matter and against the law. 

In other parts of town, a largely quiet week, with three bike thefts, a garage burglary, a vehicle burglary, a catalytic converter theft and an aggravated assault. 

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Deployment Meeting – July 14, 2021

• EPD officers located a Nissan SUV in the 1600 block of Madison on 7/12 that had been taken in a Chicago hijacking on 7/6. The vehicle was towed and turned over to the CPD. 
• Aggravated assault: On 7/11, a victim told police that a subject in a slow-moving vehicle threw something at his car, then displayed a handgun, while driving near Asbury and Oakton.
• Three bicycle thefts were reported in the downtown area between 7/8 and 7/10. All were secured. Between 7/8 and 7/9, a resident reported the theft of two bicycles from an unsecured garage in the 1500 block of Church.
• Burglary – motor vehicle: Cash and personal items were taken from an unlocked auto in the 1900 block of Dodge on 7/9.
• Cars vs. Structures: There were two of these on 7/8 last week.
  • Around 5 PM, a vehicle struck a residence in the 100 block of Burnham. No one was injured.
  • Just before midnight, officers responded to the 900 block of Pitner for a report of a vehicle driving on the parkway, striking multiple city signs. The vehicle was located, crashed into a building. Officers located driver Lauren Valencia and charged her with driving under the influence (DUI).
• From last week: On 7/2, a victim was robbed on the platform at the Central Street CTA station after adding money to a Ventra card. 
• Criminal damage to property: A victim reported that between 7/2 and 7/7, someone fired a shot which struck a fence, garage door and vehicle windshield in the 800 block of Elmwood. 
• Graffiti arrest: Chicago resident Luke White was charged with criminal damage to property after cops, responding to an alarm activation at a commercial building in the 700 block of Custer, spotted him attempting to flee on his bike. Several cans of spray paint were recovered.
• Catalytic converter theft: A Toyota Prius in the 300 block of Wesley had its catalytic converter stolen around 2:30 AM on 7/8.
• This summer’s Evanston Recycles event (see photo above) on 7/10 limited drive-up/ drop-off items to electronics and document shredding. Evanstonians still turned out in droves, with logistics flawlessly executed by volunteers, members of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and EPD officers. The event is supported by the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC).
• Officers from Community Strategies attended Problem Properties Task Force, Reimagining Public Safety and 1^st Ward meetings. They continue to address and resolve quality of life issues, with a present focus on panhandling and homelessness, lakefront deployment and the Dempster/Dodge parking lots. They were in attendance at the Farmers' Market and Safe Summer events across the city.  

The Week Ahead

• The Evanston Pride Event has been rescheduled for Saturday, 7/17. Info is here. 

Inquiring Minds: Zoom Calls and Distracted Driving

Reader A.N. had this excellent question: “How come there is never any mention of how dangerous it is to drive while participating on Zoom? I am amazed that there is no mention of this by the Police Department or the news media?”

It’s something I haven’t thought much about, even though, like everyone else, I’ve had my share of Zoom, Google Meets, Bluejeans and (add your own app here) calls over the last 15 or 16 months. 

The pandemic has forced many of us to use video conferencing as a way to learn, collaborate and communicate with friends, family, and co-workers at a time when there was no other way to do it. And while restrictions are lifting, new habits have been formed that may not evaporate once COVID-19 is finally quashed.

This, according to Zendrive, a research company dedicated to mobility safety through analytics, has impacted distracted driving. In a widely published study, their research revealed that crashes per million miles had increased by 20 percent, speeding drivers had increased by 27 percent, and hard braking had also increased by 25 percent. The use of cell phones while driving has increased 38 percent. Root Insurance also fielded a study this April that indicated more than half the motorists who video conference while driving report that they have trouble concentrating. The same study found 64% of the U.S. motorists it surveyed acknowledged that they check their phones while driving.  

Why video conferencing while driving is a terrible idea

Manual: You’re using your hands to fiddle with your electronic device to join the meeting instead of having them on the wheel. Visual: You’re glancing at the screen during the meeting, which takes your eyes off the road in front and around you. Cognitive: You’re taking at least some of your cognitive focus off of your driving in order to process and participate in the meeting.

How to spot 

Some of the signs include: A driver who slows up and then speeds up again. A driver who swerves into other lanes without using turn signals. A driver who is constantly hitting the brakes. A driver who makes erratic driving moves. Seeing a glow of light (cell phone in use) when you are driving at night.

I reached out to Traffic Sgt. Williams to ask whether the Evanston Police Department has seen an increase in distracted driving as a result of teleconferencing while driving. He has not, but mentioned that just this week, “We did have a case where a person was taking an online class while driving.” Sgt. Williams says there has not been a marked increase in distracted driving offenses.

In Ohio, House Bill 283, introduced in May, called for a ban on writing, sending or reading texts, viewing videos or taking photos, live streaming and using applications while driving. Maybe more states will follow.

Thanks to A.H. for shedding light on this issue.

Have a question or comment for us? We’re always looking for reader input and suggestions. Just send them to Commander Garner, put In The Squad Room in the subject line and we’ll respond in a future issue.

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.