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Weekly Deployment Meeting Highlights

In this post, a community member who sits in on the Evanston Police
Department’s weekly Deployment Meeting shares notes on the topics discussed and writes about public safety matters of interest to people who work or live in Evanston.

Delivery Driver Robberies

Doesn't matter if its for cold hard cash or delicious food, a robbery charge could result in 6-30 years in prison.

On 2/13 at approximately 8 p.m., a delivery driver for an Evanston chicken restaurant arrived at a residence in the 1900 block of Jackson to deliver an order. A female approached him and asked to review the order. The driver refused. Moments later, an armed male wearing a ski mask appeared and demanded the food. The driver handed over the order (worth about $70). EPD detectives are following up on available leads.

This is the most recent in a series of delivery driver robberies that have occurred in our area within the last year. Coincidentally, a suspect was taken into custody by the Skokie Police Department on 2/13 for his role in a motor vehicle theft and crash involving several parked vehicles. He was subsequently taken into custody by the EPD as a suspect in a string of pizza delivery robberies that happened last December. The investigation led to charges in a December 10th robbery that took place in the 2200 block of Foster. 

Robberies are, for the most part, felony crimes in Illinois punishable by 3-7 years in prison. Display a weapon, and a judge is required to sentence a convicted robber to 6-30 years. No laughing matter.

A recap of other incidents follows.

Weekly Crime Map

Click to enlarge

Deployment Meeting – February 14, 2024 

Discussed at the meeting:

Catalytic Converter Thefts

This week, five catalytic converters were reported stolen:

• 2/12 – 1400 block of Central, Toyota Prius, called in by a passing Pace bus driver
• 2/12 – 2200 block of Maple, Toyota Prius
• 2/12 – 2200 block of Asbury, Volkswagen
• 2/12 – 1300 block of Fowler, Toyota Prius
• 2/12 – 1800 block of Brown, VW Jetta

Criminal Damage to Property

On 2/9, after being terminated from a heating and plumbing service company in Evanston, the ex-employee damaged the main door, attempted to shatter the glass of the entrance door by throwing a planter at it, and threatened employees. Management requested and is receiving a special watch on the building and parking lot.

Fleeing and Eluding

If you run away from the police, you may be charged with F&E (fleeing & eluding). An Evanston man fled, at a high rate of speed, from a routine traffic stop around 10 p.m. on 2/10 and now has likely earned his second F&E charge.

Garage Burglary

On 2/13, a snow blower was removed through the unlocked service door of a garage in the 2200 block of Jenks.

Graffiti

Found in three locations, two in Beat 74 and one in Beat 72. (See map)

Motor Vehicle Attempts, Recoveries, and Thefts

Attempt

• Someone attempted (and failed) to steal a Hyundai Elantra in the 1200 block of Elmwood during the overnight hours of 2/6 into 2/7.

Recovered

• On 2/12, EPD officers reviewed security footage of two men in the 2000 block of Grey exiting a Kia stolen out of Des Plaines. A video of two male subjects has been shared with the Des Plaines Police Department.
• A 2011 Hyundai, also reported stolen in Des Plaines, was located on 2/10 in the 1800 block of Ashland.
• A Kia Rio stolen from the 1800 block of Ashland on 2/9 was recovered the next day in the 1800 block of Lemar.

Note: All motor vehicle thefts were Kia and Hyundai vehicles.

Organized Retail Theft

Big box hardware stores are being targeted nationwide by theft crews. EPD officers, conducting a Directed Area Patrol, observed two subjects behaving as if they were casing the joint for a store’s security and loss prevention practices. Security cameras captured the pair. Now, management and staff are on alert. The EPD is directing additional patrols to this and surrounding stores.

Residential Burglary

Attempts:

• On 2/12 around 5 p.m., in the 300 block of Asbury. Police received a burglary-in- progress call. The offender knocked on the window, then fled.
• On 2/13 around 6:30 a.m., in the 600 block of Case. The subject removed the screen and attempted to enter through a window. The resident yelled, and the burglar fled in a vehicle.

Succeeded:

• Between 2/2 and 2/8, a burglar entered a home in the 1500 block of South Blvd. and took a computer.
• On 2/12 in the 100 block of Asbury, a subject entered through an unsecured window and made off with a PS5 and a pair of Burberry shoes.

Weapons-Related Incidents

There were two calls of shots fired during this period, one in the 1200 block of Leon Place on 2/14 and the other on 2/11 near Brummel and Asbury. Police called to both scenes were unable to locate shells or bullet casings.

On 2/12 around 2 a.m., EPD officers assisted the CPD on a call involving a Man with a Gun near Ridge and Howard. An individual was located in the parking lot with a replica gun. The subject reported that he had been robbed by gunpoint in the past and carried the replica gun for protection. CPD officers took custody of the gun and filed a report.

Random Notes/Heads Up

ShotSpotter technology has received a lot of press in the last few days since Chicago decided not to renew its contract with the company. Among the reasons are concerns about being able to distinguish between fireworks and shots fired. The EPD considered this technology a few years ago and decided against it. Evanston residents are very diligent about calling 911 when they hear suspected gunshots, making the technology less valuable here.

Some of the citizen reports and tips received by the EPD came by way of the PC2 (Police to Citizen) online platform. If you want to file a police report online, go here.  PC2 is also accessible through the Evanston Police Department Mobile App. 

Inquiring Minds: Delivery Vehicles Blocking Traffic

Anticipation, anticipation, is makin' me (and the rest of driving public) late.

We received this question from Reader J.S.:

“Is there anything that Evanston as a municipality can do about delivery vehicles blocking traffic?

Amazon is the worst offender, but UPS and others are also guilty of blocking entire streets or directions of traffic when delivering packages. It does not matter whether there is parking available on the side of the street that a truck could easily pull into and out of; they simply stop where they are, blocking traffic and causing great inconvenience for most. On narrow, one-way streets, emergency vehicles cannot get through.”

This has become a larger problem for the driving public. With the exponential explosion of deliveries and delivery drivers, what was acceptable delivery driving and parking has become more disruptive compared to ten years ago or even compared to pre-Covid. One resident’s anticipation of a shiny new object or a mundane household item such as a bottle of ketchup being delivered conveniently to their front door is another resident’s traffic nuisance.

Commander Scott Sophier of the Traffic Unit responded:

“This issue is a challenge for nearly all municipalities, with Evanston being no different.

Police officers and parking enforcement officers can issue citations if they happen to be in the right place at the right time to take enforcement action. However, as you're aware, by the time a citizen calls in a violation, the driver has very likely already left for a new delivery.

Should the complainant want to report a violation, taking note of the company truck number can be very helpful. The citizen can contact the company directly and/or call 311. In a case like this, I can advise Parking Services of the issue along with the officers of the Traffic Unit so we can all be on the lookout as a result of the increase in complaints.” 

Commander Glew also recommends making a complaint to the delivery company itself. GPS on trucks and the digital trail that comes with the deliveries may be more effective at documenting and correcting undesirable driving and parking behavior. The police don’t have access to this information, but private companies do when reviewing the conduct of their employees.

This wisdom also applies to Uber and Lyft drivers who elect to block a lane of traffic instead of pulling off the roadway or into a legal parking spot to perform drop offs and pick ups.

Got a question for Insider? Send them here and we’ll try to answer them in a future issue.

The weekly deployment report is an informational bulletin prepared by a community member that keeps citizens informed about what police do on a weekly basis. Information contained in this report is not to be considered as a media/press release. Any information considered by a media source from this bulletin needs to be verified by an official from the department. This can be done by contacting the media line at 847-866-5026.