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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.

(Mostly) Students Protest at NU

Deering Meadow encampment

In the last few weeks, the situation in the Middle East has been a focal point for college students at universities across the country. During the 5-day encampment at Northwestern’s Deering Meadow, EPD took a “monitor and assess” approach. If the encampment was contained and stable, the police wanted to be thoughtful in any response to avoid unnecessary escalation. Extra care was taken because the "student protests" are commonly exploited by professional agitators who use the students' efforts as cover. 

The active occupation and protests occurred on NU property, where NUPD has primary jurisdiction. NUPD and EPD remained in communication, but in the end, the University’s diplomacy efforts paid off and brought the protest to a close. At this time, with the encampment dismantled without some of the clashes experienced by other universities, ongoing peaceful protests will continue to be the purview of NUPD. There were some minor crimes reported, and those incidents have been assigned for follow up.

While NUPD officers were involved with global concerns and student activists, EPD officers faced a wide variety of local and numerous property crimes, as the map below attests.

Details of incidents discussed at the Deployment Meeting follow.

Weekly Crime Map

Click to enlarge

Deployment Meeting – May 1, 2024 

Anti-Semitic Incident

On 4/25, a caller in the 2600 block of Hartzell reported receiving an application in her mailbox to join a hate group.

Bicycle/Scooter Theft

• On 4/27, a caller parked his scooter outside an establishment in the 2300 block of Church. When he returned, he observed an individual riding away on his
• Hi-Boy electric scooter. Several scooters and e-bikes have been taken over the past three months here in Evanston and on the NU campus.

See bicycle thefts under Garage Burglary below.

Catalytic Converter Theft

There were five this week:

• A Honda CR-V in the 700 block of Dodge on 4/28.
• A 2006 Toyota Highlander between 4/27 and 4/29 in the 700 block of Dodge.
• A 2005 Honda CR-V near Dempster and Oak between 4/27 and 4/28.
• A 2007 Honda CR-V between 4/26 and 4/29 in the 1100 block of Maple.
• A 2014 Volkswagen on 4/25 in the 100 block of Keeney.

Criminal Damage to Police Vehicle

In a bold move, tires were punctured on two police vehicles parked across the street from EPD headquarters in the overnight hours of 4/26 and 4/27.

Commercial Burglary

An unknown person broke a window and took a bottle of Absolut Vodka from a liquor store in the 1100 block of Chicago on 4/26. Complaints will be signed if the offender can be identified.

Garage Burglary

• Between 4/25 and 4/29, a bike from the secured bike storage area of an apartment building in the 1900 block of Ridge.
• Between 4/25 and 4/26, a bicycle valued at $4000 was stolen from an unsecured garage in the 1400 block of Ashland.
• On 4/24, around 6:15 PM, a resident surprised and thwarted a thief attempting to steal a bicycle from a garage in the 800 block of Reba.
• On 4/22, a bicycle was in an unsecured garage in the 800 block of Lincoln.
• Between 4/16 and 4/27, a bike valued at $5000 was stolen from a garage in the 800 block of Dobson.

Graffiti

Graffiti on public property was seen in four locations, primarily along the lakefront.

Indecent Exposure

On 4/30, a customer reported a subject masturbating in his vehicle parked in the rooftop parking area of a grocery store in the 1600 block of Chicago. Police called to the scene were able to corroborate the report and charge the 55-year-old man with disorderly conduct. He has been trespassed (barred) from the store.

Motor Vehicle Burglary

There were two reported vehicle break-ins between 4/24 and 4/30.

• Unsecured vehicle on 4/27 in the 3000 block of Park Place. The offender rummaged through the center console and glove box. The victim’s Ring camera captured the incident.
• Between 4/23 and 4/24, a Glock handgun was reported taken from a vehicle parked in the 100 block of Clyde. Security video exists.

During the meeting, it was reported that 12 additional motor vehicle burglaries, all in southeast Evanston (Beat 72) were reported on 5/1.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Attempt

A caller observed two subjects breaking the window of a 2018 Hyundai Tucson near Brummel and Callan around 4:30 p.m. on 4/26. The vehicle’s steering column was stripped, and a USB cord was located.

Theft

• Thefts at south end gas stations continue. At 10:45 a.m. on 4/29 in the 2400 block of Main, subjects entered a victim’s running 2018 Lexus while she was speaking to an attendant. The car was located in Chicago some time later. The incident is related to a series of Touhy Corridor motor vehicle thefts, several of which occurred in Evanston.  
• Between 4/29 and 4/30 in the 800 block of Washington, a Honda motorcycle parked in the rear of the apartment building was reported stolen.
• A 2023 Nissan Rogue was reported missing from the 2200 block of Noyes on 4/27. All keys were accounted for.
• Between 4/23 and 4/24, the owner of a vehicle parked in the 2500 block of Harrison reported it stolen. Flock cameras captured it traveling southbound near Dodge and Howard.

Recovered

On 4/27, Officers located a 2015 Chevrolet in the 600 block of Brummel that had been stolen out of Chicago.

Person with a Gun

• On 4/29, EPD received a request from CPD to assist following a man with a gun report.  Units executed an investigative traffic stop in the 900 block of Sherman and recovered a “Back Ops” air rifle The driver was issued a c-ticket; the case report was forwarded to CPD.
• Police officers were called to the 1400 block of Chicago around 1:00 p.m. for a report of a physical altercation. The victim reported that the suspect  produced a handgun and threatened him before fleeing.
• An unidentified caller reported that a vagrant carrying a Glock pistol was seen near Chicago and Church around 8:30 p.m. on 4/26. Police were unable to locate the man.
• On 4/26 around 8:00 PM, officers were waved down by a citizen who stated there was a man with a gun in the 1900 block of Dodge. The person stated that the man, a documented gang member, passed the gun to the driver of a Tesla, who fled the scene before police arrived. His vehicle and cameras in the area were checked with negative results.

Residential Burglary

On 04/21, offenders, possibly juveniles, were seen entering a vacant property in the 200 block of Richmond. A bottle of alcohol was the only thing reported missing.

Shots Fired

Both on 4/27:

• Patrol officers heard two shots and then another, in the 600 block of Brummel around 4:30 a.m. Nothing was located.
• A caller reported hearing a single shot at 5:00 a.m. in the 400 block of Custer. Officers canvassed the area for damage and evidence with negative results.

Suspicious Incident

On 4/25, this strange incident was reported on the Ring Neighbors App:

A subject was seen checking door handles on residences in the Dodge/ Greenwood area. While attempting to open the potential victim’s door, he announced that “Your neighbors said you'd offer me free cookies”, gave incorrect names of people he was looking for, and made an odd sales pitch for phone and internet services.

Random Notes/Heads Up

The Traffic Bureau announced that it issued 46 citations for hands-free law violations, in addition to 12 citations for speeding, seat-belt use, and various other traffic statutes during April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month enforcement campaign. 

INSIDER will be on hiatus next week, returning to cover the 5/9 Deployment Meeting.

Inquiring Minds:

Why Rapid Deployment Training is Important?

Officers training a rapid deployment response formation

Four law enforcement officers were fatally shot and four others were wounded while serving an arrest warrant in Charlotte, North Carolina, earlier this week. A suspected attacker was found dead in the front yard of a barricaded home after a standoff that lasted three hours. Two other persons of interest were taken into questioning. Add to this the more than 24 mass shootings that have happened so far this year.

In this evolving landscape of threats and emergencies, law enforcement agencies, including the EPD - recognize the imperative for rapid deployment training. The specialized training equips officers with the necessary skills and tactics to swiftly respond to critical situations, ranging from routine tasks like the Charlotte example to active shooter scenarios and natural disasters.

Rapid deployment training emphasizes speed, coordination, and decisive but fluid action. Officers learn to quickly assess a situation, formulate a plan, and execute it with precision. It includes a wide array of scenarios, with the goal of preparing officers for any unfolding crisis. Responses range from a solo officer response to the threat to a larger coordinated effort to clear and secure the scene or address large scale events. 

The training incorporates simulations and realistic scenarios to provide officers with hands-on experience in a controlled environment, helping to reinforce skills and build confidence. The theme of training is “stop the killing.” This may include the offender surrendering, ending their life, becoming a barricaded subject that is not an immediate threat, or officers using the force necessary to stop the offender.

“Stop the killing” is only one part; the second part is “stop the dying.” Stopping the dying requires officers to move into life saving mode, rendering or summoning aid to the injured. They are also trained to render aid to the offender if it is safe to do so. 

Over three days this summer, from 7/24-7/26, EPD officers and supervisors will participate in six individual role-playing sessions at ETHS. 

This is a snapshot of the topic. If you want something more in-depth, Commander Glew recommends you review the recent Evanston RoundTable article, “How Evanston police, schools are responding to DOJ report on Uvalde”, by Wendi Kromash. 

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.