Saturday, March 16, 2024 | View in browser
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.
Connecting the Dots
They hide in plain sight. Sometimes they follow Amazon trucks as they make their deliveries, but unlike other criminals—catalytic converter thieves or the opportunists who check car and garage doors in the dark—they do most of their work boldly, in broad daylight. Package pirates.
This past Tuesday (3/12) around 6 p.m., patrol officers responded to a call of a burglary in progress in the 1800 block of Ridge. A resident of the building observed a stranger loading packages into a bag. He confronted the man, who dropped the bag, fled the lobby, and made his escape on a bicycle. Police saw the man, whom they recognized from a security video associated with a December 2023 burglary investigation. Same guy, and the getaway vehicle was a bike stolen from the December incident. There have been no arrests yet, but there is a Special Watch on the building.
This Week’s Crime map indicates lots of graffiti, but otherwise, it was a mostly quiet week for crime in Evanston. Details of reported incidents follow.
Weekly Crime Map
 Click to enlarge
Deployment Meeting – March 13, 2024
Catalytic Converter Theft
Two this week:
- A Toyota Prius in the 1600 block of Monroe between 3/6 and 3/7.
- A Toyota Prius in the 1200 block of Dewey on 3/6.
Death Investigation
There were two suicidal deaths reported during the deployment period, both on 3/6.
- A subject jumped from the 7th floor of St. Francis Hospital’s parking garage.
- The first responders were called to a home for an unresponsive subject; attempts to revive the subject were unsuccessful.
Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is there to help 24/7 by calling 988.
Graffiti
Spray paint works best in temperatures between 50 and 90 degrees. This may help to explain why graffiti was observed in 10 locations during the deployment period.
Disorderly Conduct
On 3/11, a resident living on the 1100 block of Sherman found cardboard signs featuring anti-Semitic and conspiracy theory messages on the windshield of his vehicle. The Anti-Defamation League has gathered information about some of the website links that appeared on the signs: Europa, Groypers, and 9/11 Conspiracies. Detectives are investigating in an attempt to identify the offender and determine if hate crime charges are warranted.
Man with a Gun
EPD officers received a call for service in the 100 block of Chicago Avenue on 3/8 around 11 p.m. The caller reported seeing a male with a gun. Police checked the area for evidence, with negative results.
Motor Vehicle Burglary
- Between 3/11 and 3/12 in the 100 block of Callan, a rear window was broken to gain entry. The victim’s wallet was stolen.
- A vehicle in the 1700 block of Crain was entered by unknown means in the overnight hours of 3/8–3/9; a spare tire was reported missing.
- Between 3/7 and 3/8, an unlocked vehicle in the 400 block of Greenleaf was ransacked. The car’s license plate was reported missing.
- Fifteen dollars were taken from a vehicle parked in the 1600 block of Sheridan in the overnight hours of 3/7–3/8.
Motor Vehicle Theft
THEFT
- Between 3/9 and 3/12, a Hyundai Elantra was stolen from a reserved parking space in the 300 block of Callan.
- On 3/11, a Hyundai Electra that was recovered in Chicago two days prior was stolen again in the 300 block of Callan. Flock (see this week’s Inquiring Minds) cameras picked up the vehicle driving southbound on Chicago Avenue.
ATTEMPT
- Thieves attempted to steal a Kia Sorento from the 1600 block of Greenwood between 3/8 and 3/9. The steering column had been damaged.
RECOVERED
- On 3/7, an EPD officer located a Kia Forte stolen out of Palatine.
- A vehicle reported stolen from the 1800 block of Hinman was located on the 800 block of Emerson.
Package Theft
A resident reported the theft of multiple packages from a home in the 600 block of Grove on 3/11.
Pickpocket
Crooks are employing far less subtle methods of removing wallets from unsuspecting shoppers.
On 3/7, a victim reported that her exit from a downtown grocery store was deliberately blocked with a shopping cart by one individual while an accomplice reached into her purse and took her wallet. She immediately canceled her credit cards, but not before the pair were able to make a purchase at a store a couple of blocks away.
While both offenders were wearing the kind of surgical masks commonly seen during the pandemic, one of the men removed his just before exiting. EPD officers have an excellent image of the man’s face.
Residential Burglary
The occupant of an apartment in the 600 block of Church surprised a burglar around 10 a.m. on 3/12. The police have a good description of the man who was able to make off with cash and coins.
Sexual Assault UPDATE
From last week: On 2/27, around 10:30 p.m., a female entered her apartment building and was followed by an unknown male subject. He restrained the victim and began to touch her inappropriately. A friend of the victim had just been on the phone with her, heard the disturbance, and came to her aid. The offender then fled.
Update: The investigation is going well, and EPD is hoping they will make an arrest.
Shots Fired UPDATE
From last week: On 2/29, in the 1400 block of Chicago Avenue, at 1:45 a.m., officers responded to a shots fired call. The caller observed a male firing a handgun in the alley, where police were able to retrieve a spent 9mm shell casing. Surveillance video captured a subject fitting the caller’s description.
UPDATE: The offender was taken into custody on 3/13. He was still in possession of the firearm at the time of his arrest. He was charged with Reckless Discharge of a Firearm and Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon.
Random Notes/Heads Up
As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, the EPD will be stepping up seat belt enforcement, particularly at night when seat belt usage rates are lowest. Speeding, distracted driving, and traffic laws will be strictly enforced.
Here’s some good advice from Commander Sophier: “Before celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year, decide whether you’ll drink or you’ll drive, or whether you’ll use or you’ll drive. If you choose to drink or use cannabis, designate a sober, reliable driver to get you home safely.” The last thing you want is a free ride to the police headquarters. Sláinte!
Inquiring Minds: The What and Why of Automated License Plate Readers
 What are Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR)?
Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) are high-resolution digital cameras with an infrared filter to capture images of vehicle registrations. As vehicles pass through the camera’s field of view, a picture of the rear of the vehicle is taken, including the license plate. These images capture:
- vehicle make and color, and
- time the vehicle was at the location of the fixed camera
The EPD invested in ALPR technology in 2022. The Flock Safety system we use incorporates approximately 20 cameras that focus on vehicles entering and leaving Evanston.
What ALPRs don’t do
This is a resource to recognize license plate information and other facts about a vehicle, not the occupants. The technology is not connected to personal identifying information, is not capable of facial recognition, and is not used for traffic enforcement, similar to a red-light camera.
License plate readers do not capture video, record speed, enforce traffic or parking violations, or track people. They only take photographs of license plates and vehicles.
How are the cameras used?
License plate numbers give the EPD objective, actionable leads needed to solve crimes. This information assists the Department in identifying license plates associated with missing persons, Amber Alerts, people in crisis, public safety concerns, and felonious vehicles involved in criminal activity.
Does the program conform to Evanston's ideals?
A reasonable amount of privacy for the driving public is important, as is having confidence that information collected by Evanston ALPRs will not be used for investigations that are not in step with Evanston's ideals, such as investigating immigration status and those coming to Evanston in an effort to attain reproductive services they may not be able to attain in their home state.
Before having access to EPD's ALPR information, the vendor, Flock Safety, requires an out-of-state agency to attest that the information will not be used in a way that conflicts with Illinois HB 3326.
Are they effective?
In a word, yes! EPD's ALPR program has been successful at combating crime trends, assisting in criminal investigations, increasing traffic safety, and making arrests for violent crimes.
On 3/14, an ALPR alerted the EPD that the vehicle of a suspect wanted in a Chicago homicide had entered Evanston. Officers located the vehicle and suspect, arrested him without incident, and turned him over to CPD, who has since charged the offender with first degree murder. Evanston and Chicago are safer.
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.
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