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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.
A Tale Almost as Old as Time
 Seized on Jan. 17
If there was a theme for this deployment period, it was “traffic offenses leading to arrests.” One example, and there are a few others as you’ll discover, happened on Jan. 17 around 9 p.m. when Special Operations Group (SOG) detectives conducted a traffic stop in the 8900 block of McCormick. A search of the dark blue BMW led to the recovery of a loaded 9mm Glock 43 handgun and 127 grams of cannabis. One of the vehicle’s three occupants was placed under arrest and charged with aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of cannabis, possession of cannabis with intent to sell, and several traffic violations.
Arctic air kept most burglars off the streets. The week’s major incidents follow.
Weekly Crime Map
 Click to enlarge
Deployment Presentation – January 22, 2025
Burglary
Commercial
- On Jan. 22, a burglar broke into the Taste of Jamaica restaurant in the 700 block of Howard and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash. Security cameras caught the offender walking eastbound about the time the burglar alarm alerted. The M.O. appears to match a similar burglary at the Walgreens location in the 600 block of Chicago Avenue.
- A purse and a backpack were removed from an employee breakroom at Backlot Coffee on Jan. 17.
Motor Vehicle
On Jan. 14, a caller reported that his Glock handgun was removed from the trunk of his 2018 Toyota Camry in the 800 block of Seward.
Residential
- In one of the stranger incidents reported this week, a resident reported, on Jan. 19, that a recliner cushion valued at $400 was removed from his residence in the 800 block of Elmwood.
- On Jan. 17, a victim with a residence in the 1200 block of Hull Terrace reported that electronics and clothing were missing. Officers noted a rear window opened and a back door unlocked.
- An apartment in the 800 block of Elmwood was ransacked on Jan. 17. The resident reported that approximately $75 in cash and coins was missing.
Criminal Damage to Property
On Jan. 18, officers were called to Walgreens in the 600 block of Chicago for a report of a male subject kicking and shattering a glass door. Based on the description provided by store employees, a suspect was identified and apprehended by police at the South Boulevard CTA Station. He has a lengthy history, including theft, assault, and burglary.
Domestic Incident
On Jan. 19, officers responded for a disturbance. Two domestic partners were involved in an argument that had escalated into a physical altercation. One of the partners allegedly threatened the other with a knife and then a handgun. Responding units were unable to locate her.
Motor Vehicle Theft
- Detectives located a vehicle associated with felony charges for fleeing and eluding near Howard and Elmwood. A search revealed 0.7 grams of suspected cocaine from the rear driver-side floorboard. (News you can use: Vehicles like this one are described by law enforcement as felony vehicles.)
- A vehicle stolen out of Chicago was recovered on Jan. 15 in the 2200 block of Madison. The rear license plate was stolen out of Skokie.
- On Jan. 21, a caller reported his son’s 2017 Dodge Charger stolen from the corner of Judson and Dempster.
Possession of a Controlled Substance
On Jan. 11, two subjects were arrested on drug charges when they were illegally parked in the 100 block of Chicago. A backpack in the vehicle contained individually packed bags of suspected weed, $1,750 in cash, suspected crack cocaine, and a bag of suspected heroin.
Retail Theft
- A vehicle sought by EPD for its association with a Dec. 23 retail theft in which two males stole $1,600 worth of laundry products from Food4Less was located in Evergreen Park. The vehicle is in EPD custody now.
- On Jan. 15, a thief asked a clerk at Squeezebox Books in the 700 block of Main where the children’s books were located. Security video at the store captured the man entering a restricted area of the store and removing a wallet from a backpack.
Warrant Arrest
On Jan. 17, a man with an UUCC (unlawful use of a credit card) arrest warrant from 2013, yes, from 12 years ago, was taken into custody by SOG (Special Operations Group) near Lake and Dodge.
Weapons Related
- An expired CCL (Concealed Carry License) can result in a felony charge. That’s what one man discovered as he was parked after hours near Sam’s Club in the 2400 block of Main on Jan. 19.
- Officers recovered a loaded Smith and Wesson M&P Shield handgun during a routine traffic stop on Jan. 17. The driver had an expired FOID (Firearm Owners Identity) card and CCL. He was charged with a misdemeanor.
- On Jan. 15, a person whom officers later determined was suffering from a mental illness called EPD reported that a family member with access to firearms was in a delusional state. No weapon was located. The caller was transported to an area hospital for evaluation.
- A parent mistook a soda bottle for a gun when dropping off her son at an EFD-sponsored class for juveniles on Jan. 15. Contact was made with EFD; no firearm was located.
Random Notes
- Here is this week’s latest text scam alert. This one is from EzDriveMA alerting victims of outstanding toll invoices and that to “avoid excessive late fees, settle the balance in a timely manner." (Illinois drivers use either I-Pass or EZ-Pass.) Do not reply “Y” or copy the link. Just delete the text.
- An 80-year-old female was pronounced dead at St. Francis Hospital on Jan. 18 after crashing her vehicle into the Food4Less on Jan. 18.
- Narcan (naloxone) was administered to an unconscious man in the 1100 block of Church by EPD officers on Jan. 18. They were able to revive the man, who was subsequently transported to an area hospital.
- Chinese Lunar New Year is Jan. 26. It’s the Year of the Snake. According to Google, “the year ahead encourages transformation, growth, and finding creative solutions to challenges.”
From the Archives: Traffic Violations Arrest
 “I notice in the Crime Bulletin that some people are arrested for traffic violations. What elevates the level of a traffic stop from a warning to a citation to an arrest?”
According to Traffic Sergeant Jeff Faison, a citation becomes an arrest when an individual is either an unlicensed driver, driving on a suspended license, or, of course, driving while under the influence. Those may get you a free ride to 1454 Elmwood.
In other words, you're not going to be arrested when you're pulled over for an illegal right turn on Oakton, but here's something students learn in the Citizen Police Academy: "You never win at the car window."
Officers have heard every story imaginable. They have dashcams. They have bodycams. There are pod cameras. And forget about thinking you've been victimized by some kind of ticket quota if you get a citation toward the end of the month. No such policy exists. In fact, more warnings than citations are issued each month. It pays—literally—to keep your cool, show some respect, and save the arguments for somebody else. Like your spouse or your teenager, maybe.
It’s time for our quarterly shoutout to the people from whom all content flows: EPD’s crime analyst and the intelligence team. INSIDER doesn’t exist without them.
Send us your questions. What would you like to know? We’ll respond with an answer in the next issue or two. Comments and suggestions are welcome too. Contact us here.
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.
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