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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.

Daylight Drive-by

Forensics working the scene of the May 8 Shooting - Photo Credit: Evanston Roundtable and Richard Cahan

On 5/8, around 4 p.m., EPD officers were directed to a 20-year-old victim inside a residence in the 1600 block of Ashland who had suffered at least four gunshot wounds. Officers on scene applied tourniquets and emergency medical aid until the arrival of EFD.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the victim and a friend were inside a vehicle on the 1900 block of Ashland when a suspect vehicle, an Infiniti, drove southbound on Ashland and fired several rounds at the vehicle, hitting the driver. It fled north on Ashland, then eastbound on Foster. An unmarked car observed the offending vehicle, but it made good on its escape. The stolen get away vehicle, captured on a Flock camera, was located in Chicago.

The victim was taken to an area hospital and, as of this writing, is in stable condition.

Details of incidents discussed at the Deployment Meeting follow.

Weekly Crime Map

Click to enlarge

Deployment Meeting – May 15, 2024 

Bicycle Theft

An unlocked bike was reported stolen from a schoolyard in the 2300 block of Green Bay.

Drug Overdose

Around 10:40 p.m., on 5/11, EPD responded to the intersection of Elmwood and Dobson to assist EFD with an intoxicated male inside a vehicle. Upon arrival, officers located the unresponsive man in the rear of a vehicle and treated the man with Narcan for a likely heroin overdose until EFD arrived. He was transported to a local hospital for further care.

EPD's Narcan program was featured on WGN. Click here to watch this superior and timely piece of journalism. 

Graffiti

It was seen in two locations during the period – on a sidewalk in the 2100 block of Lake on 5/8 and in a building in the 2200 block of Foster on 5/7. 

Motor Vehicle Burglary

There were three reported vehicle break-ins during the period:

• In a familiar M.O., an offender removed a victim’s wallet while she was  pumping gas at a station in the 2400 block of Main around 4:45 PM on 5/10.
• In the overnight hours of 5/10 – 5/11, a victim reported that her Toyota Corolla was ransacked and that $3700 in musical equipment, including a trumpet, was missing.
• On 5/8, around 11:25 AM, subjects gained entry to an unsecured 2020 Ford parked in the 700 block of Sheridan. It isn’t clear if anything was taken.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Several vehicles stolen from Evanston were recovered in Chicago during the deployment period.

Attempt

• A 2016 Hyundai parked on the 900 block of Harvard was discovered with a damaged steering column on 5/11.

Theft

• A key was used to steal a 2008 Mazda from the 900 block of Forest between 5/7 and 5/11.
• A 2017 Hyundai Accent left on the street with the motor running was stolen from the 300 block of Dewey on 5/10.

Recovered

• On 5/13, a 2011 Hyundai Elantra stolen from the 200 block of Callan was located on the 3000 block of Gunnison in Chicago.
• A 2019 Hyundai Elantra stolen out of Evanston was recovered in the 6800 block of California in Chicago on 5/13.
• A 2012 Hyundai Sonata stolen from the 1100 block of Hull Terrace on 5/13 was recovered in the 6500 block of Maplewood in Chicago the same day.
• On 5/11, a 2014 Honda Civic stolen out of Chicago was located in the 500 block of Sheridan.
• An 2015 Audi stolen out of Skokie was recovered on 5/10 in the 2000 block of McCormick. Two juveniles (the driver and passenger) were charged.

Person with a Gun

On 5/15, around 1 a.m., police were called to the 800 block of Dobson. The caller said that a younger man was threatening to shoot an older male at that location. Contact was made with an individual who stated that an argument had taken place but that a gun was not present. A walk-through of the apartment was negative for a firearm.

On 5/11, around 3 a.m., a caller in the 800 block of Forest reported that he was approached by a male who implied a weapon. The police canvassed the area, but they weren't able to locate the offender.

Residential Burglary

A victim in the 800 block of Simpson reported his Apple MacBook stolen in the wee hours of 5/14. It appeared that the offender entered the residence through an unsecured window.

Shots Fired

Two this week, both yielding negative results for bullet casings or shells:

• On 5/13, just after midnight, in the 500 block of Dodge
• On 5/11, around 11 p.m., in the 2100 block of Seward

Random Notes/Heads Up

Commander Sophier wants to remind you that now through Memorial Day weekend, EPD is stepping up enforcement efforts to remind motorists to “Click It or Ticket.” The effort, he says, is about “preserving lives. We want seat belt use to be second nature for all drivers and passengers.” 

On 5/9, the EPD conducted a tobacco product compliance check at 35 Evanston businesses. Three downtown retailers were cited for selling to minors.  

Inquiring Minds (from the Archives):

CSI Evanston Style

It could use a wash, but dirty or clean, it carries all the tools an evidence technician needs.

Their Chevy Suburban may look different than what you see on television, and there aren’t any personal intrigues among the staff that make for good drama. Even so, the Forensic Services Bureau faces its own share of mysteries and may process as many as 10 incidents in a single shift. 

The forensic team is called into action to secure and photograph crime scenes, collect and catalog evidence, and, in some cases, even process it. All calls have to be evaluated through a crime lens, until facts and circumstances dictate otherwise. These incidents cover everything from the death investigation of a 95-year-old or a street full of cars with slashed tires to break-ins, robberies, and homicides.

The team consists of evidence technicians, sworn officers who are certified in fingerprinting, blood spatter, ballistics, footwear impressions, and pretty much everything else you might see on crime shows. Another difference is that many are crime scene investigators and evidence technicians. 

For homicide investigations, the regional NORTAF "CSI" team steps in. DNA and other evidence are sent to the Northern Illinois Police Crime Lab, but some evidence for lesser crimes is processed right at the EPD’s crime lab. Maintaining a bulletproof chain of evidence is another responsibility. So is testifying in court, since the evidence has to stand up to the most aggressive grilling of an investigator by a defense attorney.

Here are some other things that Hollywood doesn’t get quite right: hours of standing, the physical and psychological demands of the jobs, and mounds of paperwork. Hollywood has also done a stupendous job of misinforming the public about how long it takes to process evidence. Lab analysis, especially DNA, in real life takes months, not hours.

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.