Saturday, March 23, 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.

Massage Complaints

Following an arrest operation focused on three Evanston massage parlors on 3/14, police arrested four females and charged them with one count each of Class A misdemeanor prostitution. Tipped off by complaints from Evanston residents, the EPD and the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department joined forces in the investigation and subsequent arrest operation. The Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Unit was able to determine that none of the arrestees appeared to be victims of human trafficking.

Maintenance inspectors from Property Standards accompanied officers to each location and determined that there were a multitude of violations at each location. The inspectors advised that multiple citations are forthcoming. More trouble: the Property Standards Division will be temporarily closing each establishment for health code violations.

A side note: if a client, aka "John,"  is charged with solicitation, they face criminal penalties that are often more severe than those of the individual being charged with prostitution.

It was a busy week for the EPD. Details of reported incidents follow.

Weekly Crime Map

Click to enlarge

Deployment Meeting – March 20, 2024 

Bicycle Theft

• The 1200 block of Sherman saw the theft of an e-bike locked to a bike rack on 3/13.
• On 3/11, there was a reported theft of a secured electric scooter in the 2400 block of Main.

Child Endangerment

A report of an unattended child on 3/15 drew officers to a residence where they discovered, not one but two, children left home alone. The officers issued a citation to the mother of the children, and she is scheduled to appear in court. DCFS is involved.

Death Investigation

On 3/16, police discovered a female suicide victim at a residence in northwest Evanston, marking the third such death in the past two deployment periods.

PLEASE, 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

The spray paint cans were out again this week, with graffiti seen in six locations throughout Evanston. 

Man with a Gun

• Around 7 p.m. on 3/19, a caller reported an argument with a known female who was carrying a gun, prompting police to respond to the 1900 block of Jackson. Cops talked to the woman, who denied she had a gun and claimed to be able to provide security video that would disprove the accusation. They provided her with a link to upload the video. We checked that area and found no negative results.
• On 3/16, at 7:45 p.m., an anonymous caller reported that she was driving to the police station and that two subjects were following her in two vehicles. She said that one of them pulled a gun on her. Attempts to return the call and reach the caller failed. 

Motor Vehicle Burglary

• On 3/17, three subjects in the 200 block of South Boulevard broke the window of a 2016 Volvo to gain entry and ransacked the interior. Video is being reviewed.
• A Chevrolet Avalanche in the 1600 block of Fowler had tools and silver dollars stolen between 3/15 and 3/16. Evidence Technicians responded to the scene and are collecting video evidence.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Car thieves were busy last week. Most of these incidents are either attempts or recoveries. Two of the vehicles recovered in Evanston had been stolen in Chicago.

THEFT

• A Chevy Impala was reported stolen from the 1700 block of McDaniel on 3/19.
• A driver’s 2018 Honda Accord was stolen in the 600 block of Elmwood on 3/19 as she was making deliveries. 

ATTEMPT

All reported attempts this week were on Hyundai and Kia vehicles. Windows were broken to gain access to the vehicles; all the steering columns were damaged.

• 3/16, at 9:30 p.m., a 2012 Hyundai Sonata in the 100 block of Howard.
• Between 3/15 and 3/16, around 10 a.m., a Hyundai Tucson in the 2100 block of Sherman.
• 3/15 at 10:30 PM, a 2014 Hyundai Sonata in the 100 block of Florence.
• 3/15/24 at 11:30 PM, a 2020 Hyundai Kona in the 800 block of Noyes.
• 3/14 around 9 AM, a Kia Soul.

RECOVERED

• Between 3/17 and 3/18 in the 200 block of South Boulevard, a 2014 Kia. It was later recovered in Chicago, running and unoccupied.
• 3/17 in the 2600 block of Ridge, a 2023 Chevy Traverse. Recovered in Chicago.
• Outside stolen vehicle recovered in Evanston: 2008 Toyota Highlander involved in a Chicago robbery. Located in the 1700 block of Dodge.
• Outside stolen vehicle recovered in Evanston: 2021 Infiniti stolen out of Chicago, located in the 2300 block of Main.

Outside Agency Homicide Arrest

On 3/14, CPD Area 2 Detectives advised EPD they were looking for an Evanston resident and a specific vehicle in connection with a 3/13 homicide. The Flock camera system alerted EPD detectives to the vehicle’s location near Emerson and Leland. Officers, with the assistance of the Special Operations Group, were able to conduct a traffic stop and take, without incident, the driver into custody.

The suspect and the vehicle were turned over to CPD, where the subject was charged with murder.

Package Theft

A resident reported the theft of a package from a residence in the 400 block of Howard on 3/14.

Weapons-Related Offenses

Around 10 p.m. on 3/14, an EPD midnight patrol unit conducted a traffic stop on a 2020 Infiniti for a traffic violation. A handgun was observed in plain view on the floorboard. The driver, a valid FOID card holder, admitted to possessing the Carik TP-9 9mm handgun. A further search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of THC vape cartridges, cannabis edibles, and cannabis paraphernalia. He was charged with Aggravated UUW and unlawful possession of cannabis.

Random Notes/Heads Up

UPCOMING RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

• Ramadan: 3/9/24–4/10/24
• Purim: 3/23/24-3/24/24
• Easter Holy Week: 3/24/24–3/31/24 

Area public schools (Evanston Districts 65, 202, and all CPS schools) will be on Spring Break the week of 3/25. 

From the Archives - Inquiring Minds:  Bike Thieves and How to Outsmart Them

‘Tis the season to locate that bicycle pump and dust the cobwebs off the bikes that have been sitting in your basement, garage, or storage unit. At the same time, let’s revisit some universal tips for thwarting the thieves in our midst.

One thing to keep in mind: There’s almost nothing you can do to keep your bike out of the hands of a motivated professional armed with a bolt cutter or a cordless reciprocating saw. What you can do is make it a labor-intensive risk that is not worth the time and trouble. 

Lock it up.

• Use more than one bike lock. Consider using a cable in addition to a u-lock.
• Change your lock every few years or when the technology of your lock is becoming obsolete. Once thieves become familiar with a mechanism, they develop the skills to defeat it. They are much less likely to have the skills to defeat the latest and greatest in lock technology.
• Lock up your bike, even if it’s in your garage or the storage area of your apartment building or condo. Every year, building common areas  experience numerous bike thefts.

Invest in some hardware.

• Outfit your bike with accessories (lights, odometers, etc.) that can be removed when you aren’t riding it. 
• Take the front wheel or the seat with you. Most of the time, your stolen bike is the getaway vehicle.
• Use pinhead/skewer locks to protect wheels. These are available at most bike shops. 

Think strategically

• When you’re not using it, store your bike at home (and inside, if possible) in a basement or utility room.
• If you’re storing your bike or bikes in a garage, make sure you secure them to an immovable object, and don’t forget to lock all garage doors.
• When you lock your bike to a rack or other structure, choose a well-lit, well-traveled location. There’s no secluded ‘hiding place’ that thieves haven’t considered.

Register your bike for free with the EPD. It may not stop a bicycle thief, but it may help you recover your ride. You can do this at this fall’s Bike The Ridge event, or better yet, stop by the Front Desk at EPD Headquarters (1454 Elmwood). 

Next week, we’ll revisit some conversations with local bike shop owners to see what suggestions they have.

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.