Friday, January 28, 2022   |   View in browser

Evanston Police Department

This week’s newsletter is a recap of major incidents reported between January 27, 2022 and February 9, 2022. Sign up for the newsletter here.

Major Incidents

Unlawful Use of a Weapon: On January 27th at 10:24 am, Officers responded to a shots fired call in the area of Fowler and Hartrey. Witnesses and video revealed that shots were fired and subjects fled on foot. Shell casings were located, but no victims were located. Detectives continue to investigate. 

Robbery: On January 28th at 7:45 pm, the victim stated he was in the area of 2100 Dewey to complete a sale of shoes that had been negotiated online. Three unknown subjects, one with a gun, approached the victim and demanded the items. The subjects took the items and fled on foot.

Carjackings: Three vehicular hijackings, including one attempt, occurred between February 5 and February 7, 2022. 

On February 5th at 12:04 am, the victim reported that while sitting in his vehicle on the 1300 blk of Brummel, an unknown subject approached him, displayed a gun, and ordered the victim to leave the vehicle. The victim exited the vehicle and left his phone inside. The subject fled in the victim’s vehicle, which was located on 2/5/22 at 18:20 in Chicago. 

On February 7th at 12:28 am, the victim reported driving her vehicle in the area of Emerson and Green Bay Road, when her car was struck from behind. The victim pulled over and an unknown subject approached her, showing a gun. The victim called 911 and returned to her vehicle, and then fled. The victim described the suspect vehicle as a “dark sedan” with no further information. About 10 minutes later, another victim stated she parked her vehicle on the 1100 block of Darrow and walked to her trunk. An unknown subject displaying a handgun approached her and demanded her keys. The victim complied and walked away while calling the police. The subject returned to her side and demanded her phone. The subject then fled in the victim’s vehicle, striking a parked vehicle as he fled. The vehicle has not been recovered.

Residential Burglaries: Two incidents were reported to the police. One incident occurred on February 4th between 8:00 am and 11:00 am on the 2100 block of Emerson. Unknown subject(s) forced entry to the residence by forcing open the secured front door. Electronics and food were taken. The second residence, located on the 2100 block of Dewey, was entered by unknown means between January 31 and February 2, 2022. Clothing was taken from that location.

Motor Vehicle Thefts: Three vehicles were reported stolen. One vehicle was taken from the street on the 3400 block of Park Place between January 29th and January 30th, during the overnight hours. The owner reported that a set of keys may have been used. Two additional cars were taken - one from the 700 block of Chicago on February 5th, and the other from the 700 block of Church on February 6th. Both vehicles were left running with their keys inside.

Garage Burglaries: Two unsecured garages were burglarized. Items taken include bicycles, tools, and lawn equipment.

Commercial Burglaries: Four businesses were burglarized during this timeframe. Two businesses were entered by force, and the other two had doors left unsecured. Items taken included money, food, and alcohol.

Vehicle Burglaries: Seven vehicles were reported burglarized. Two vehicles had their windows broken, while the others were left unsecured. Items taken include personal items, money, and electronics.

Package Thefts: Eleven packages were reported stolen. The locations were mostly in south Evanston and were most often taken from common areas.

Other Information

Crime Prevention Alert: Motor vehicle thefts continue to be a serious problem in the Chicagoland area. In Evanston, it is rare that our stolen vehicles are broken into. In fact, many of our car thefts begin as a vehicle burglary.  Sometimes, these vehicles are let unsecured with a spare key or key fob left inside of the unsecured vehicles. Around the area, Jeeps have been a frequent target of these thefts. Please make sure to take your keys and key fobs with you, and always secure your vehicle. Do not leave valuable items in plain view.

Child Safety Seat Installation

In the State of Illinois, all children under the age of eight must be secured in an appropriate child safety seat.  Child safety seats include infant seats, convertible seats (Rear-facing for infants and forward-facing for toddlers), and booster seats that are used with the vehicle’s lap and shoulder belt system. Click here to submit an online request.

Recovered Property

When lost property is recovered and turned into the police department, every reasonable attempt will be made to identify and return the property to its rightful owner. In many instances property is recovered but never reunited with its owner because there was never a report filed. If you have an item that you have lost or had stolen in Evanston, your first action should be to file a police report.

Even if you have not filed a report, you can still check with the Property Bureau during the Public Operating Hours to see if an item has been turned in. You can contact the Bureau at 847-866-5029. You can also check our list of recently recovered property online. Our listing features items of lost, abandoned, or mislaid property that has been turned in to, or recovered by, our department. This list is updated daily and allows you to easily contact us by email if you believe an item may be yours. Please remember that if you think an item is yours, you will be required to provide additional proof of ownership. Click here to check the property listings.

Gun Buyback Program

The Gun Buyback Program is an opportunity for Evanston residents to turn in a functioning firearm to the Evanston Police, and in turn, receive $100. Call 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.

Please do not bring a firearm to the police department without approval from an EPD supervisor.