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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.

Multiple Disturbances on Howard Street

Howard Avenue, the Wonder District in real estate advertising, date unknown.

Most weeks, events along or near Howard Street that require the attention of the Evanston Police Department (EPD) are related to situations closer to the Howard CTA station. Unruly crowds, public drinking, drug transactions, and gang activity are common. This week, it was different.

Police were called to investigate three separate incidents that occurred over eight days at the same location, several blocks west on the Evanston side. (See Battery, Residential Burglary, and Assault in this post.)

Some of the time during this deployment period was associated with safety preparations and procedures for keeping people safe during Evanston’s Fourth of July Celebration.

Notable this week: No new graffiti was observed, no motor vehicle burglaries (car break-ins), and no catalytic converter or package thefts were reported. Details of incidents covered during the Deployment Meeting follow.

Details of incidents discussed at the Deployment Meeting follow.

Weekly Crime Map

Click to enlarge

Deployment Meeting – July 3, 2024 

Armed Robbery

Around 1:00 a.m. on July 3, a woman visited a convenience store in the 800 block of Emerson to purchase cigarettes. When her credit card was declined, she threatened the clerk with a knife. The clerk handed over the cigarettes, and she left the store. Detectives investigating the incident learned that the woman was experiencing a mental health crisis. She was transported to an area hospital, and no charges are pending.

Battery, Residential Burglary, and Assault

• Incident #1 in the 1400 block of Howard on June 25 around 3 p.m.: A victim reported an assault by a known female. The assailant, who had stayed with the victim for a short period, was asked to leave the residence two days prior. The victim required medical attention and was transported to St. Francis Hospital for treatment.
• Incident #2 in the 1400 block of Howard on June 29 at 11:00 p.m.: While investigating the June 25 incident, officers encountered a resident at the same address who informed them of a similar incident involving the suspect. He told police that on June 29, she became angry, threatened to cut him, and then stabbed him in the hand, wrist, and leg. He was able to walk to St. Francis Hospital for treatment.
• Incident #3 in the 1400 block of Howard on July 2 around 5:15 p.m.: EPD officers were asked to stand by as the victim from the June 25 assault attempted to gather belongings from her burglarized residence. The unit had been ransacked, and the victim reported that documents were missing. She identified the offender as her June 25 assailant. The person of interest is well known to the EPD. An investigation is underway.

Bicycle Theft

Two bicycles were reported stolen this week, both unlocked and both on June 29:

• From a yard in the 2400 block of Orrington.
• From a parking lot in the 2200 block of Howard.

Criminal Damage to Property

On June 26, officers responded to a residence in the 300 block of Ridge where a resident observed a bullet hole in a window and a bullet lodged between windowpanes.

Commercial Burglary

• An auto repair business in the 100 block of Dodge was burglarized in the early morning hours of June 28. Burglars broke a window to gain entry and ransacked the place. According to the owner, nothing of value was taken.
• Around 7:00 a.m. on July 1, a subject wearing a surgical mask entered the Target store in the 1600 block of Sherman and used scissors to cut security wires on two televisions being displayed. He did not leave the store with either of them.

Drug Overdose

According to the Crime Analyst, there have been 13 reported drug overdoses, one resulting in death, since the beginning of the year.

• On June 30, around 6:15 p.m., a subject was reported as non-responsive in the 500 block of Howard. Officers administered two doses of Narcan, with the second one being successful. The man was transported to the hospital for treatment.
• The same day, EPD officers assisted EFD in responding to a call of an unresponsive female. She was awake and alert when first responders arrived and refused medical treatment.

Garage Burglary

A bicycle was stolen from an unlocked garage in the 1100 block of Colfax in the overnight hours of June 27–28.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Attempt:

• Thieves attempted to steal a 2016 Kia Soul from the 2200 block of Emerson in the overnight hours between June 26 and June 27. The car’s steering column was peeled, and the ignition was damaged.

Theft:

• A Segway scooter was reported missing from the 1600 block of Foster in the overnight hours on June 26.

Recovered:

• A 2016 Hyundai Sonata missing from the 1300 block of Brummel on June 27 was located on the south side of Chicago the next day.

Weapons-Related 

Person with a Gun:

• In the early morning hours of July 3, callers reported seeing possibly armed individuals in the 1500 block of Fowler.
• Around 7:00 a.m. on June 26 in the 200 block of Custer, a caller reported seeing a man with a gun demanding money from another subject. A witness reported seeing an offender fitting the description in the alley who told him he had a gun.

Shots Fired:

• Just after midnight on July 2, a caller heard multiple shots fired in the 900 block of Michigan.
• Around 1 a.m. on July 2, a caller reported hearing 10 shots in the 1400 block of Dobson. Officers located six.40 caliber shell casings. A video revealed a subject firing six rounds with just one trigger pull.
• On June 29, around 10:30 p.m., shots were heard in the 600 block of Dodge. Units in the area observed fireworks.

Random Notes/Heads Up

• On July 3, EPD issued an alert requesting the public’s help in identifying an individual associated with several recent ‘Peeping Tom’ incidents and a reported battery. More information is here.
• By now, we are all aware of a tragic drowning incident that occurred at Lighthouse Beach on Sunday, June 30. First responders from multiple agencies and jurisdictions were involved in the rescue attempt. One individual, a 41-year-old man, remains missing.

Inquiring Minds: Don't Leave Home Without It 

Even more important than your American Express Card

It happens. Let’s say you’re driving to the lakefront to meet your friends for an early morning run. You bring your cell phone in case of an emergency, but you leave your wallet on the kitchen counter. On the drive home, you fail to make a complete stop at a stop sign. You’re pulled over by an officer who asks for your license, registration, and proof of insurance. You whip out your iPhone and show her screenshots of all three.

The question is whether showing cellphone images satisfies the state’s requirement for producing physical documents (license, registration, and proof of insurance) during a traffic stop.

According to Traffic Bureau Officer Samson, the answer is no.

Two different laws are involved:

One requires you to have a valid license whenever you operate a motor vehicle in Illinois. That means you’ve passed the written and behind-the-wheel tests. It also means you’ve been issued a license that hasn’t expired, been suspended or revoked. Operating a vehicle without a valid license is a Class A or B misdemeanor.

The other law requires you to produce your license if asked by the police. It proves you’re a legal driver. Here it is: “Every licensee or permittee shall have his driver’s license or permit in his immediate possession at all times when operating a motor vehicle.” It then requires every licensee or permittee to “display such license or permit if it is in his possession upon demand made” by a police officer. Violating this law is a petty offense.

According to Officer Samson, failure to produce a driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance can result in charges and a court date. He also points out that officers exercise discretion when determining whether a motorist is following the law. Charges are dropped when the motorist produces the subject documents (the driver's license and vehicle registration) in Traffic Court. But yes, it could mean a morning in Traffic Court.

News you can use:

• A digital image of your insurance card is acceptable to law enforcement.
• Ten states have introduced digital driver’s licenses. On May 24, the Illinois House passed HB4592, a bill supporting the introduction of mobile ID and driver’s licenses in Illinois. It’s expected to clear the governor’s desk and could be available as early as 2025.

He strongly suggests you have your documents available whenever you drive.

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.