Wednesday, March 8, 2023 | View in browser
EVANSTON, IL - Following a February 13 altercation in downtown Evanston involving Streetplus, a City of Evanston maintenance vendor, the City is providing an update on the status of this program.
Streetplus has acknowledged that the incident was unacceptable, and has committed to taking the following corrective actions:
- Terminating three Streetplus employees
- Suspending one Streetplus employee without pay
- Requiring all current and future Streetplus employees on the Evanston account to participate in additional enhanced training
The enhanced training, which is normally provided to Streetplus social service outreach and security services staff, includes anger management, safety through tactical thinking, and strategies for communicating and interacting with unsheltered, unhoused and mentally ill individuals.
Streetplus President Steve Hillard issued a letter outlining the company’s action plan, and has reiterated the company’s commitment to being a positive presence in Evanston business districts while providing the enhanced cleaning and maintenance services the company was contracted to perform.
Following these actions, and with the support of members of Evanston’s business community, the City has lifted its suspension of the Streetplus Clean Team program, which will resume on Monday, March 13, 2023. Streetplus will recruit new team members to replace the terminated employees. The City will monitor the company’s performance closely and will consider future contract renewals accordingly.
The Evanston Police Detective Bureau has completed its investigation of the February 13 incident. The investigation included interviewing witnesses and participants, along with reviewing available video of the incident. Ultimately, all those involved did not wish to pursue the matter criminally. No arrests were made and the investigation is presently closed.
For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311 or dial 311 in Evanston.
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Media Contact: Patrick Deignan
pdeignan@cityofevanston.org
Phone: 847-448-8234
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