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Evanston Police Department

This newsletter is a recap of major events reported between January 12th through January 25th, 2023.

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Major Incidents

Attempted Kidnapping: On January 23 around 4:00 p.m. the 18-year-old victim reported walking on the 1200 block of Fowler when two males exited a gray 4-door vehicle. The victim stated the subjects picked her up, but she was able to fight and free herself, and then flee on foot. The victim was not injured.

Robbery: On January 15th around 10:58 a.m., the subject entered a convenience store on the 1600 block of Emerson, struck the clerk in the head with a bottle, and then fled the store with proceeds. An arrest was made.

Residential Burglaries: Three residential burglaries were reported over the past two weeks. On January 11th, around 8:00 p.m., the victim reported that a subject entered the residence on the 800 block of Emerson through an unsecured door and took clothing. On January 14th around 6:30 p.m., subjects entered a residence on the 1500 block of Florence through an unsecured door. The subjects damaged property and took electronics. On January 22nd around 2:20 p.m., subject(s) gained entry to the residence on the 1800 block of Grey by breaking a window. 

Other Burglaries: Sometime between January 13th and 14th, unknown subject(s) entered a garage on the 1100 block of Noyes and took miscellaneous items. On January 20th around 5:40 a.m., a business on the 300 block of Howard Street was entered by breaking a window. Cash may have been taken.

Motor Vehicle Thefts and Vehicle Burglaries: Over the past two weeks, 8 vehicles were stolen, and 2 additional attempts were made. Five of the vehicles were Kias or Hyundais, which reflects a pattern throughout the Chicagoland area. In addition, there were 7 vehicle burglaries; of those 4 were Kias or Hyundais that had their windows broken. In response to the increase in motor vehicle thefts, the Evanston Police Department has reached out to car manufacturers for steering wheel locks as a means of theft prevention.

Shots Fired Call: There were 4 shots fired calls over the past two weeks; no evidence was located at three of the incidents. On January 17th,  residents discovered a bullet hole in the window of a residence on the 700 block of Mulford.

Bicycle Thefts: Two bicycles were reported stolen over the past three weeks.

Catalytic Converter Thefts:  Five vehicles had their catalytic converters stolen.  Four of the incidents were located in Beat 72.

Other Information

Online Non-Emergency Incident Reporting

The Evanston Police Department has launched online non-emergency incident reporting. This self-reporting system is commonly referred to as P2C - Police to Citizen. It efficiently and conveniently allows a citizen to file a report from virtually anywhere with a computer or mobile device.  If a citizen does not have access to a computer or mobile device, there is a workstation available for public use in the police department lobby at the Records Bureau window. To report incidents online, visit this link.

Stolen Vehicle Tracking

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office announced a “Tracked Vehicle Program” to work with vehicle owners, manufacturers, and dealerships to provide a rapid response to vehicle thefts or carjackings, and more quickly recover the victim’s vehicle. Vehicle owners can visit this link for more information.

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. Request a child seat installation or inspection through 3-1-1.

Recovered Property

When 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.

Ongoing 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. A buyback can be set up at any time through the Evanston Police Department (3-1-1 or the non-emergency line). An officer will go to the residence and collect the firearm, and the resident will be given 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.