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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.

Weekend Updates

See DUI below.

Very few Deployment Meetings begin with a report of updates on recent crimes, but that’s what happened this week. (Typically, the week’s trends launch the discussions.) This is a rare opportunity for INSIDER to share results of ongoing investigations, so here we go:

Felony Charges from Social Media Posts: Last December, an offender posted videos on Instagram and YouTube, showing (mostly his dashboard) fleeing from the EPD. Detectives used these posts to trace the vehicle and driver, who is now charged with felony aggravated fleeing and eluding.

Fake Cop Incident: A vehicle and person of interest were identified last week in connection with an individual posing as a police officer and attempting to pull over vehicles.

Recent Shootings: Charges have been filed against two offenders involved in last week’s shootings, both facing aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. Additionally, SOG officers charged a man with attempted first-degree murder for shooting a victim on August 6. Another man involved accidentally shot himself in the hand.

Details of incidents discussed at the Deployment Meeting follow.

Weekly Crime Map

Click to enlarge

Deployment Meeting – August 14, 2024 

Aggravated Battery

On August 11, officers responded to Evanston Hospital for a walk-in patient with a serious stab wound to the neck. The patient stated that the incident happened near the CTA Red Line Station; however, recent incidents suggest a different scenario. Detectives are investigating, and aggravated battery charges may be pending.

Armed Robbery

On August 13, officers responded to the Citgo station in the 400 block of Asbury for a report of an armed robbery. The clerk reported that two individuals—a male and a female wearing ski masks—entered the store. The male pointed a handgun at the clerk; then both subjects went behind the counter and emptied the cash register of about $2,500 and stuffed numerous packages of cigarettes into a black bag. The offenders left on foot, possibly headed south. The security video is under review.

Battery

On August 12, an argument between two females escalated into physical violence in the 1900 block of Jackson. The assailant may be charged with battery.

Bicycle Theft Robberies

• Two teenage boys approached a 10-year-old in Mason Park on August 13. They demanded the boy’s bike, but he managed to get away.
• On August 10, a similar incident occurred when a parent reported that her teenage son had been confronted by two teenage boys near Green Bay and Foster, who demanded and took his Schwinn bicycle.

Catalytic Converter Theft

On August 8, a catalytic converter was removed from a 2015 Honda CRV parked near Lee and Hinman.

Commercial Burglaries

Police believe that the same crew is responsible for three commercial burglaries that occurred within an hour of each other on the south side of Evanston:

• A window at Bill’s Drive-in in the 100 block of Asbury was broken to gain entry to the building. Between $500-$600 was taken. The security video at the scene provided a good description of the offender.
• Thirty minutes earlier, the Bee-Zee auto repair shop located in the 1700 block of Howard was burglarized. Equipment valued at $4,000 was taken.
• Shortly before the Bee-Zee burglary, the same offender attempted to break into the Aldi store in the 2200 block of Oakton.

DUI

On August 8, officers responded to a vehicle crash on the 500 block of Howard. Open alcohol was found in the vehicle. Two passengers suffered minor injuries and were transported to the hospital. The driver showed signs of impairment during the field sobriety test and was taken into custody for driving under the influence.

Graffiti

Just one incident of tagging was reported near Mulford and Wesley on August 9.

Man with a Knife

On August 12, a loss prevention employee at the Jewel-Osco in the 2400 block of Howard reported that a man took about $100 worth of merchandise. He followed the subject across the street, at which point the offender produced a knife. The loss prevention officer called 911 instead. A video is available.

Possession of Controlled Substance

On August 13, officers gave chase to a man suspected of shoplifting at the Jewel-Osco in the 2400 block of Howard, and upon apprehending him, they discovered 0.6 grams of white powder, a crack pipe, and three unopened boxes of alcoholic beverages in the man’s backpack. The offender has an active warrant out of Cook County and was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and retail theft.

Residential Burglary

Wilmette detectives have discovered a pattern of overnight residential burglaries occurring in Wilmette, Skokie, Morton Grove, and Evanston over the last month. The incidents have been linked through video, as well as stolen property:

• On August 7, residents of a home in the 2600 block of Orrington reported a wallet and purse missing from their unlocked home.
• Also on August 7, an unknown offender entered a sliding glass door of a home in the 2100 block of Wesley and made off with three MacBooks and two Ring cameras.

Theft

Two incidents of purse-snatching from patrons enjoying a nice meal at restaurants in the 700 block of Main offer a warning for people who routinely hang their purses or backpacks over the back of the chair they’re sitting in:

• On August 8, a victim’s purse—including keys, a wallet, and credit cards—was taken from the back of a chair at Trattoria D.O.C.
• Ten days earlier, the same thing happened at La Principal. In both incidents, credit cards were used in short order to make purchases.

Weapons-Related Incidents Shots Fired

• A caller reported hearing one shot in the 400 block of Barton on August 11. No evidence was located; officers in the area reported that it sounded like a transformer blowing.
• EPD units checked the 3600 block of Hillside in response to a call of 5–6 shots heard. The area was checked and was negative for evidence or property damage.

Random Notes/Heads Up

• From an EPD Tuesday Tip: Did you know that you can receive a citation for "dooring"? Most drivers and cyclists have an incident to report, like this one: In a rush to cross an errand off a to-do list, a driver opens the driver’s side door and barely misses a cyclist in a bike lane. Motorists, check your side mirrors. Cyclists should exercise caution, especially on narrow roadways.
• NUPD has identified two juveniles associated with numerous scooter thefts on the NU campus.
• District 65 students will head back to school on August 22. EPD will be on hand during drop-offs and pick-ups to elevate safety and security in school zones.

Inquiring Minds: Aggravating Factors in Criminal Charges

In this issue of INSIDER, many of the incidents covered involve criminal charges that include the designation "aggravating." If you’re curious about what that means, we’re here to help.

Aggravating factors are circumstances that make a crime more serious and command a harsher sentence. Some common aggravating factors include:

• Vulnerable victim: Crimes against a victim who was particularly vulnerable are considered especially serious in Illinois. Vulnerable victims include elderly people, disabled individuals, or children.
• Criminal history: The idea is to punish those who fall into a pattern of criminal activity, such as habitual drug dealers.
• Hate crime: If a crime was motivated by religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability status, Illinois treats the offense very seriously.
• Serious harm: If the victim was seriously harmed or threatened with serious harm, sentencing could be harsher.
• Organized crime or hired crime: Crimes that took place as part of gang or other organized crime activity, as well as crimes for which the defendant was paid (such as murder-for-hire), can be considered aggravated.
• Abuse of power: Those who hold public office or a trusted professional position and then abuse that position to commit a crime may receive harsher sentences, as this abuse is an aggravating factor.
• Firearm: Use or possession of a firearm in committing an offense aggravates the offense.

In court, defense attorneys attempt to counteract aggravating factors with mitigating ones. They’re the opposite of aggravating factors; mitigating factors are circumstances that make the crime less serious than the charge suggests.

PLEASE SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS. We love to hear from readers and promise to answer any and all in a future issue. Comments and suggestions are appreciated too. 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.