Saturday, February 22, 2025   |   View in browser

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.

Retail Therapy Gone Wrong

Plunder from the Feb. 14 Walgreens theft

Retail Theft

Frigid temperatures may have kept the catalytic converter thieves (and other outdoor-oriented criminals) indoors, but they did nothing to deter the efforts of retail thieves. This week, observant staff members, along with the surgical precision of 911 communicators and EPD officers, resulted in catching the crooks red-handed.

On Feb. 18, officers responded to Jewel-Osco in the 1100 block of Chicago Ave. for a retail theft. The security officer told them that a repeat offender placed several items in a plastic bag and attempted to leave the store. She was stopped with $158 worth of unpaid items in her bag. Even though she was thwarted prior to completing the theft, she was arrested for an outstanding arrest warrant.

On Feb. 15, officers were dispatched to Whole Foods in the 1600 block of Chicago for a report of an in-progress retail theft. Dispatchers were able to provide police with a description of the thief; police were able to take the man into custody. Detectives followed up with loss prevention staff at Whole Foods, who confirmed that the same man was involved in prior incidents there. He was subsequently charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor.

Officers were alerted to an in-progress retail theft at Walgreens in the 2100 block of Green Bay on Feb. 14. Staff was able to provide a detailed description of the thief. According to them, the man had visited the store on prior occasions, stealing cough, cold, and flu medications, stuffing them into his jacket, and exiting the store without paying. The description of the car he was driving was broadcast to police, who were able to locate and speak to him at the CVS parking lot in the 100 block of Asbury. Officers observed what appeared to be stolen merchandise (see photo above) on the rear floorboards of the vehicle. Witnesses positively identified him as the offender. The stolen merchandise had a cash value of $1,846.50. The man was charged with felony retail theft.

Details of other incidents covered in the meeting follow.

Weekly Crime Map

Click to enlarge

Deployment Presentation – February 19, 2025 

Arrest—Criminal Sexual Abuse of a Minor

SOG Detectives had developed intelligence on a male subject who was wanted for aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor. The man, working for CTA at the Forest Glen Terminal, was taken into custody without incident. After the execution of a DNA search warrant, the State's Attorney approved a Class 2 felony charge of aggravated sexual abuse.

Attempted Robbery

On Feb. 19, officers called to the 900 block of Church met with a victim who reported that he was robbed 20 minutes prior. He said that a man on a red Schwinn bike asked if he had money or a phone. When the victim said he didn’t, the assailant slammed the victim to the ground but fled on his bike without any proceeds. The victim had abrasions to his face and was treated at the scene by EFD. Officers returned the man to his residence.

Battery

• On Feb. 18, officers responded to a report of a battery at the Davis St. CTA station in the 1600 block of Benson, where they encountered a victim with visible swelling around his left eye. He told officers that the offender boarded the train at either the Howard or South Blvd station and began removing his clothes while behaving inappropriately toward the victim and his girlfriend. When the victim stood up, the offender knocked him to the ground, rendering him briefly unconscious. Owing to a previous medical condition, he was transported to Evanston Hospital for evaluation.
• Three hours later, EPD received a report of criminal damage to property at the intersection of Grove and Maple, where the glass front door of a business had been shattered Officers located and detained the offender and confirmed that he was the same individual involved in the CTA battery. He was taken into custody and charged with battery, criminal damage to property, and an outstanding warrant.
• A victim and her friend were waiting at the Howard CTA station on Feb. 17 when they were approached by a stranger asking them random questions. The couple exited the train at the Davis Street station, only to be followed down the stairs by the questioning stranger, who then grabbed the woman’s buttocks. The victim captured and posted a video on TikTok. Police were able to identify a person of interest, who has a lengthy criminal history for burglary, battery, and narcotics.
• On Feb. 15, a female met a man she’d connected with on OK Cupid for a movie date. During the film, the man made multiple unwanted advances that escalated into inappropriate touching. Distressed, the victim left the theater and sought assistance from theater staff, who remained with her while she awaited the arrival of the police. By the time police arrived, the offender had fled.

Burglary

Commercial Burglary

Two subjects attempted to break into the Bluestone restaurant in the 1900 block of Central on Feb. 12.

Garage Burglary

Between Feb. 9 and Feb. 11, unknown persons took an electric scooter from an unlocked garage in the 800 block of Lincoln.

Motor Vehicle Burglary

An unlocked 2024 Jeep Compass was ransacked between Feb. 12 and Feb. 13 in the 1700 block of Brown.

Residential Burglary

A resident of the 1400 block of Greenwood reported that two individuals were seen on security video forcibly entering his home on Feb. 12. He reported that $300 in cash was missing.

Domestic Disturbance

On Feb. 13, EPD received multiple 911 calls for a disturbance where a male subject was actively kicking down the door of an apartment in the 200 block of Asbury. The man fled after threatening to kill his girlfriend, then called 911 to confess. Communicators were able to keep him on the phone long enough for officers to locate and arrest the man. He was charged with a felony and two misdemeanors.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Recovery—A 2009 Buick LaCrosse left with a mechanic on Jan. 31 was reported stolen when the vehicle’s owner was unable to contact the man. The vehicle was seen on Flock cameras on Feb. 1.

Theft—A 2018 Ford EcoSport was reported missing on Feb. 12 from the 700 block of Asbury. The vehicle’s owner believes that a key was left in the vehicle.R

Wallet & Purse Theft

According to the Crime Analyst, these incidents are becoming more common: On Feb. 13, a victim reported that while at Colectivo Coffee, her purse, slung over the back of her chair, was taken. Her credit card was used at a Walgreens location a short time later.

Weapons Related

Shots Fired—EPD received one call for 7 shots heard on Feb. 19 near Howard and Elmwood around the same time that CPD received a call for shots fired near Fargo and Seeley, where a black vehicle was seen fleeing the area. The area was checked with negative results.

Random Notes

• INSIDER will return to your inbox on Mar. 8.
• On Feb. 17, roughly 60 people braved the elements and met at Fountain Square, where they engaged in a peaceful protest. This was a scheduled event, one of many taking place coast to coast.
• There’s still time to apply for the English language Community Police Academy this upcoming Spring. CPA (English) begins on Mar. 4. Apply here.
• Unfortunately, the Spanish-language Community Police Academy has been postponed. 
• Scribe’s Note: Here’s a clarification requested by one of our readers: The Evanston ordinance requires that, with the exception of the Dog Beach, all dogs be kept under restraint. Leashes are required in public parks and playgrounds. Read the ordinance in its entirety here.

Inquiring Minds: Do Unused Minutes Carry Over in Evanston's Parking System?

We received this great question from Reader C.M.

“If I pay for two hours of parking via the Evanston parking app, but end up moving my car before that time is up to another Evanston parking zone, do I need to pay again (if I park a total of 2 hours or less between the 2 locations)?”

Back in 2019, when the City began to replace its 1,000 single-space meters with pay stations, many residents had the same question. Gone were the days of lucking into a parking space with time left on the meter.

According to news reports of the day, the 1,000 parking meters purchased in 2013 were dying just six years later. The City Manager reported that they tended to freeze in rain or cold weather. Replacement parts were expensive. The $1.1 million switch to what we have now was based on a 2018 pilot program in the 1600 block of Sherman. With cost saving as a goal, a single pay station could serve an entire city block.

Reactions to the change were swift and not always positive. App users were charged a 35 cent “convenience fee” if they didn’t stay for the maximum time allotted (usually 2-4 hours). Shopkeepers, already annoyed by the fact that parking is free in Wilmette but not in Evanston, complained about bugs in the system.

To answer our reader’s question, INSIDER made a shocking discovery. Users of the Park Evanston app can move their vehicle to another zone with time remaining on their initial transaction if the parking rate is the same. It’s called Time Transfer and INSIDER verified this the old-fashioned way – by talking to a  member of the Parking staff. The majority of parking spaces are $2 an hour, but it’s a good idea to have a look at parking signage downtown or along lakefront beaches where the rates may be higher.

The convenience fee still exists, but you can avoid it by paying for parking sessions using the wallet app on your mobile phone. (For info on how to set that up and answers to other ParkEvanston questions, click here.)

And finally, we probably all remember the outrage when the city of Chicago entered into a 75-year contract for parking management to a group of investors. That didn’t happen here. Parking Operations are managed in-house.

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.