Friday, February 25, 2022   |   View in browser

Evanston Police Department

This week’s newsletter is a recap of major incidents reported between February 10 and February 23, 2022. Sign up for the newsletter here.

Major Incidents

Shooting investigation: On February 22 at 8:20 pm, EPD responded to a shots fired call on the 1300 block of Hartrey. Responding officers located a house with bullet holes in a rear window and multiple shell casings in the yard. No one was injured. Detectives continue to investigate.

There were two additional shots fired calls over the past two weeks, both on February 17. The first call was dispatched to the 400 block of Custer; nothing was located. A second call was dispatched to the 1900 block of Noyes; nothing was located.  

Robberies: Three robberies were reported to the police. The first took place on February 15 at 1:30 pm, in a parking lot on the 2200 block of Howard. The victim reported walking through the parking lot when a vehicle approached from behind. An unknown subject reached out of the passenger side window and took the victim’s purse. The victim was not injured.

On February 17 at 2:00 am, the victim reported walking in the area of Emerson and Brown when an unknown subject approached from behind and struck him with a handgun. The subject took the victim’s cell phone and fled on foot.

On February 21 at 4:30 pm, the victim reported being robbed by unknown subjects at a gas station on 1900 Green Bay. Responding officers located subjects with proceeds on their persons and they were taken into custody. 

Detectives continue to investigate these incidents.

Residential Burglaries: Five residential burglaries were reported to EPD during this timeframe. In three of the incidents, the subjects gained entry through unsecured doors. The other two residences had entry made by forcing open rear doors. In Evanston, electronics and jewelry are most often the targeted items in residential burglaries. Please remember to secure your doors and windows when you are not at home.

Motor Vehicle Thefts: Ten stolen cars and one attempted steal were reported to EPD over the past two weeks. Six of the cars were left running, some with keys inside. Three other vehicles had keys or fobs left inside. 

Vehicle Burglaries: Seven vehicles were reported burglarized over the past two weeks. None of them was reported to have forced entry. Please note that vehicle burglaries in Evanston occur in pockets; meaning, there are often nights where multiple cars in a small geographic area are burglarized.

Thefts: Two catalytic converter thefts, two bicycle thefts, two package thefts, and two pickpocketing incidents were reported to EPD.

Other Information

Crime Prevention Alert:

While many crimes have seasonal elements to them, residential burglaries are property crimes that occur throughout the year. Most often residences that are burglarized have unsecured or open doors and windows. Sometimes subjects locate spare house keys that are hidden outside. And while it is rare, occasionally residences are forced open.

There are several ways to reduce the likelihood that your home will be burglarized:

• Lock all of your doors and windows when you’re not at home. If you are at home but on a different floor, make sure your main floor doors are locked.
• Never leave a spare key outside of your home.
• Keep your front and rear entrances well-lit.
• If you’re going to be away from home for a long period of time, make sure a trusted neighbor knows you won’t be at home. Feel free to contact the EPD for a vacation watch of your property.
• If you have an attached garage, be sure to lock the entrance to your home.
• If you have a dog, let it bark. Research with convicted burglars suggests they’re less likely to burglarize a home with a noisy dog.
• Invest in an alarm or security system.

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.