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Evanston Police Department

This newsletter is a recap of major events reported between January 26th through February 8th, 2023.

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Major Incidents

Unlawful Use of a Weapon Investigation: On February 6th around 11:00 a.m., Evanston Police responded to Chute Middle School for a report of a student with a gun. Officers were able to retrieve the weapon and the student was taken into custody and charged. The firearm had been reported stolen from a vehicle.

Robbery: Two robberies were reported over the past two weeks. On January 26th around 2:30 p.m., the victim stated that while he was at school, a subject took electronics from him. On January 29th around 3:00 a.m., the victim was walking on the 1000 block of Central when unknown subjects in a vehicle approached her, threatened her, and demanded her belongings. The victim gave up her purse and then fled on foot. She was not injured.

Burglaries: One residential burglary was reported on January 30th around 5:30 p.m. on the 1800 block of Asbury. Unknown subjects forced entry to the residence by breaking the front door glass. Once inside, the subjects took jewelry and antiques.  A garage burglary occurred on the 1800 block of Leland between February 2nd and February 6th. The subjects used a garage opener to gain entry to the garage and took tools. One commercial burglary took place on the 1200 block of Howard sometime between February 4th and February 6th. The subjects forced entry by taking a garage door off of its tracks and then took tools from inside the shop.

Motor Vehicle Thefts and Vehicle Burglaries: Evanston continues to be hit hard with vehicle thefts and vehicle burglaries. Ten vehicles were stolen and another 3 vehicles were attempted steals. Nine of the vehicles had their windows broken and their steering columns were peeled. Most of the vehicles were Kias (3) and Hyundais (5).  In addition, 10 Kias and 6 Hyundais were entered by breaking a window. To help prevent these thefts, Evanston PD will be hosting a steering wheel lock giveaway event for Evanston residents who own or lease Kias.

Shots Fired Call: One shots fired call was reported. Nothing was located.

Bicycle Thefts: Three bicycles were reported stolen over the past three weeks. Two were taken from residences and one was taken from a bike rack.

Catalytic Converter Thefts:  Two vehicles had their catalytic converters taken.

Tire Thefts: Three vehicles had their tires and wheels taken while parked.

Package Thefts: Two delivered packages were taken from residences.

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.