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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.

There's No Place Like Home

Ruby Slippers Optional

Around 8 p.m. on 6/1, officers on patrol observed a van on the move. Having linked this specific van to several recent commercial burglaries, they attempted an investigative stop. Instead of stopping, the van took off like a twister across the Kansas Plains. 

There is no place like home, and detectives located the parked and unoccupied van a short time later in front of the registered address. In plain view, detectives could see apparent burglary proceeds (for related news, see this week's IM below). If that wasn't enough to ease on down the road to probable cause, a burglary tool from a recent burglary was visible in the van. Police drafted a search warrant for the vehicle, which is currently in their custody.

What makes this story so surprising is that burglars often use stolen cars to commit crimes, then abandon them some distance from home. This did not occur in this case, leading to the impoundment of the van and, if burglary charges are filed, the possibility of a trip to "Oz."

Details of incidents discussed at the Deployment Meeting follow.

Weekly Crime Map

Click to enlarge

Deployment Meeting – June 5, 2024 

Aggravated Assault

Around 10:30 p.m. on 6/3, a female was in Dobson-Brummel Park when she observed a family member and woman in a parked car engaged in an altercation. She attempted to intercede, when the woman exited the vehicle and attempted to stab her before driving off. Detectives are investigating.

Aggravated Battery

• On 6/3, around 2 p.m., officers responded to a call about a man at a chicken restaurant in the 300 block of Howard who stated that he’d been stabbed. Officers contacted the victim, who had a laceration to his lower abdomen. Initially, he was not forthcoming about his real identity. Who knows why? He did not have an arrest warrant, which is the typical reason citizens provide false information to the police. He was transported to an area hospital and did not want to cooperate further with EPD.
• Around 10:30 p.m. on 6/3, a caller reported hearing a female yelling for help in the 800 block of Mulford. Officers canvassed the area and found evidence of an assault. They were able to locate the victim at an area hospital where she was being treated for lacerations to the back of her head. She told officers that she’d had an interaction with a known individual who subsequently demanded $20 from her. When she refused to pay, he struck her in the head with an unknown object.

Bicycle Theft

They’re on the rise.  Here’s where and when they happened:

• 6/4 – 2300 block of Green Bay
• 6/3 – 1600 block of Dodge
• 6/2 – 700 block of Oakton, secured.
• 5/31 – 1900 block of Lake, secured.
• 5/29 – 1600 block of Dodge, secured.

Catalytic Converter Theft

On 5/31, a caller heard the unmistakable sound of a reciprocating saw around 5 a.m. in the 100 block of Kedzie. Two offenders, one under a Toyota parked on the street and the other a probable lookout, fled the scene in a stolen Nissan as soon as they noticed they were being observed.

Commercial Burglary

Unknown subjects damaged the front window of a bakery in the 600 block of Howard.

Fleeing and Eluding

• On 6/4 around 8:30 p.m., Flock cameras identified a suspect Hyundai Elantra in the 2400 block of Main. The driver failed to stop and ran a red light at McCormick and Main.
• At 1 a.m. on 6/3, officers attempted to stop a suspect 2014 Maserati near Asbury and Howard. A wanted bulletin has been dispatched for the vehicle.

Garage/Storage Area Burglary

• On 5/30, a crowbar was used to gain entry to the storage area of a building in the 200 block of Custer. Tools valued at $10,000 and items from other residents were reported missing.
• A BMX bike was taken from a garage in the 1600 bock of Church between 5/28 and 5/29.

Graffiti

This week saw an explosion in graffiti, with 15 seen on light poles, electrical boxes, utility boxes, viaducts, and street signs throughout the city. (None are hate-crime related.)

Motor Vehicle Burglary

All to unlocked vehicles:

• Wallet items from a 2003 Toyota Highlander in the 1400 block of Wesley on 6/4.
• Between 6/3 and 6/4, a door left ajar of a 2017 Jeep in the 2100 block of Greenwood.  The owner reported that nothing was missing.
• Between 6/3 and 6/4 in the 1800 block of Greenwood, a stolen credit card was used to make fraudulent purchases.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Stolen:

• A delivery driver’s 2023 Toyota Camry left running while the victim was making a delivery in the 1000 block of Chicago on 6/3.
• A 2021 Genuine Hulugan scooter from a residence in the 700 block of Hinman between 6/1 and 6/2.
• A 2008 Honda Accord parked in the 1700 block of Dodge on 6/1.
• A Radrunner electric bike secured to a bike rack at the Central Street Metra Station on 5/29.

Recovered:

• An undamaged Kia Optima was taken from the 1700 block of Madison on 5/23. It was located on the north side of Chicago on 5/31.

Residential Burglary

Between 5/28 and 5/30, two unknown males attempted to use a key to gain entry to a residence in the 1000 block of Main.

Robbery UPDATE

A man was taken into custody by CPD on 5/2, and he admitted to participating in the robbery/theft that occurred in Evanston on 3/1 at 1900 Central. EPD detectives learned that he was also wanted for two incidents in Skokie. The man turned himself into SPD on 6/3 and was charged with one count of theft for the Evanston robbery. 

Weapons-Related

• Police received a Text-a-Tip around 5:30 a.m. on 6/2 stating that five shots were heard near Howard and Custer.  Officers were unable to locate shells or bullet casings.  (See next bullet)
• Criminal damage to a restaurant in the 700 block of Howard was reported around 8 a.m. on 6/2.  Glass in the front window was shattered. Officers were able to recover four bullets.
• On 6/1, around 11 p.m. in the 1100 block of Dodge, a caller reported a female with a gun who stated that  “she wanted to shoot me”.  Officers called to the scene weren’t able to recover evidence; residents stated that they didn’t see or hear anything.  Officers were unable to reach the caller.
• Officers were dispatched to Howard and Ridge around 10:30 p.m. on 5/29 when an anonymous caller reported a man in a vehicle with the door open brandishing a handgun and impeding traffic. The area was checked with negative results.

Random Notes/Heads Up

• By now, you are probably aware that the search-and-rescue for a missing swimmer on Monday, 6/3 was a false alarm.
• CPD reported two robberies on the CTA Red Line last week; one near the Jarvis stop, the other on the Loyola platform.
• Maybe it’s gone out of style, but “larceny” isn’t a word heard very often in law enforcement circles. Turns out that it’s been largely replaced by “theft”  just like at the EPD. Larceny is defined as the unlawful taking of the personal property of another person or business. Examples include thefts of bicycles, thefts of motor vehicle parts and accessories, shoplifting, pocket-picking, or the stealing of any property or article that is not taken by force and violence or by fraud. Now you know.
• This week, EPD has designated 28 locations for Special Watch patrols, adding three city parks to address alcohol violations and after-hours complaints.

Inquiring Minds: Recovering Stolen Property

Downward trend this year

This week’s vehicle search of a vehicle associated with several commercial burglaries yielded evidence in the form stolen goods, or "proceeds." The suspect vehicle is currently in police custody, along with the burglary proceeds inside it. Some will be returned to victims. Hopefully arrests will follow. 

In the summer, homes are more tempting to criminals because windows and doors are left open more frequently, plus homeowners often spend less time there when the weather is pleasant. It doesn’t take a motivated burglar very long to remove a window air conditioner to gain entry. Point is: Petty criminals like these are opportunists, and opportunities present themselves more frequently during the summer months.

Here's what you can do:

First of all, take a few extra seconds to secure your valuables and lock your bikes, homes and garages.  Leaving a backpack, wallet, iPhone or laptop in plain view inside your car is catnip to a Midnight Rambler. Raise the bar on protecting your property.

Next, file a report when you’ve been a victim of crime. You can do this in person at EPD headquarters.  For non-emergency property crimes like bike thefts, garage thefts and car-break-ins, another option is filing a report online.  You can do this through the EPD Mobile App or through this portal.

Sure, it might be embarrassing to admit that car keys (wallet, laptop, purse, backpack, or gold bullion) were left in your unlocked car parked on the street, but the cops are not going to judge you. If they don’t know what you’ve lost, they won’t be able to help you find it.

When the damage is done: The EPD has an online portal where you can review a list of items that have been recovered recently.  Your iPhone may have been fenced within minutes of hours of its disappearance, but the same can’t be said for that 1959 Rolle flex camera.  Visit the Recently Recovered Property page here. 

If you believe one of the listed items belongs to you, call the EPD to make an appointment.   You will be required to provide identification, and in some cases, proof of ownership. Firearms will only be returned to holders of a valid State of Illinois Firearms Owner Identification Card.

Usable unclaimed property is transferred to a public online auction service after 30, 60, 90 or even 180 days, depending on the circumstances.   An ongoing auction 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a wide array of stolen goods from many police departments across the country, you can visit the site www.propertyroom.com and check it out for yourself.

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.