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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.

Artless

Around 6 p.m. on Apr. 17, officers responded to a business in the 800 block of Main for a report that a young couple entered the back alley studio and began acting suspiciously right away. It was clear that purchasing fine art or learning how to create it was not their game plan.

The pair attempted to physically engage with the victim, who, naturally, rebuffed them. The duo was undeterred; the female attempted to solicit sexual relations with the victim while the male party indecently exposed himself. They were ordered to leave the premises, and they did, but not before the male told her that they intended to return. Police have good descriptions of the pair, and a Special Watch is in effect.

Tip Optional: A long, long, long, long time ago, on a day trip to a land not too far away, Chicago, to meet with my college roommate at The Berghoff, I was too young to understand that the cost of a meal generally does not include a tip. Before we were able to leave, the career server (the restaurant was very old-world back then) loudly confronted me with, "What? No tip?” I was humiliated. To make matters worse, I only had just enough money to get me back to the C&NW station.

Something similar happened here last week. On Apr. 19, a local restaurant owner loudly confronted a customer for not leaving a tip. A video of the confrontation went viral on social media. Two days later, the sidewalk in front of the establishment featured chalk-written responses to what many considered inappropriate behavior by the owner.

Other incidents follow.

Weekly Crime Map

Click to enlarge

Deployment Presentation – April 23, 2025 

Arrest—One of Evanston’s “frequent flyers” was charged with retail theft and resisting/obstruction when he was taken into custody at the CVS location in the 100 block of Asbury on Apr. 19. According to police, the man has an extensive history for thefts in our town.

Burglary

Commercial Burglary—A manager of a mattress store in the 700 block of Church notified police that $100 was missing. Incidents of a similar nature have taken place at Chicagoland locations of the same chain. Working with Hillside police, EPD officers were able to locate, interrogate, and arrest a suspect on Apr. 17.

Garage Burglary—On Apr. 21, a resident reported that a Specialized Allez road bike was removed from his garage in the 2200 block of Central Park. Apparently, his garage door wasn’t working properly, and he attempted to park his car to block access to his garage, but it didn’t work.

Motor Vehicle Burglary— Just one this week. On Apr. 19, EPD received a report of a Hyundai Sonata with its driver’s door ajar and interior ransacked. The owner said that $2000 in cash, a camera, keys, and credit cards were taken 

Residential Burglary—A residence in the 1500 block of Madison was burglarized between Apr. 16 and Apr. 19. It appears that the crooks cut a screen and entered through a basement window.

Child Investigation—On Apr. 17, a caller reported that her niece was followed by a male subject inside the Food4Less grocery store in the 2400 block of Main. The man told the teen that he was new to Evanston and wanted to meet someone to spend time with. Store management is providing video to the EPD.

Catalytic Converter Theft—Between Apr. 10 and Apr. 19 from a 2007 Lexus in the 1000 block of Hinman.

Criminal Damage to Vehicle—On Apr. 21, a victim reported that she was parking her car in the 1800 block of Maple when she was approached by a woman screaming at her. The subject then started banging on the victim’s car before shattering its rear window. As she fled the scene, the car’s owner heard the assailant say that she wanted to go to jail.

Domestic Incidents

On Apr. 19, a caller reported that she had been receiving messages from her ex threatening damage to her current boyfriend’s car. He made good on his threats before being located by EPD officers and arrested for criminal damage to property.

In the early morning hours of Apr. 19, an injured woman wearing only underwear walked into EPD headquarters and reported an assault by her ex-boyfriend. Police responded to his residence and charged him with misdemeanor battery.

On Apr. 16, a female who had been battered by a former domestic partner contacted police to report that she was being harassed and threatened on the phone. A Special Watch has been placed on her residence. Victim Services is assisting her with receiving an Order of Protection.

Custody issues between former partners resulted in police being called on Apr. 13. Police had been called to that location several times for similar incidents in the recent past.

Graffiti—On a garbage can in the 1400 block of Sheridan on Apr. 14. 

Motor Vehicle Theft

Recovered:

A Dodge Durango truck was reported stolen on Apr. 22 from the 900 block of Michigan. CPD located the vehicle in the 7400 block of South Vernon in Chicago.  The owner reported that $12,000 in cash, two iPads and two portable DVD players were missing from the vehicle.

A Jeep Cherokee stolen out of Skokie was recovered in the 1100 block of Dewey by EPD on Apr. 19.

Theft—A Hi-Boy electric scooter was reported stolen from Main and Chicago on Apr. 17.

Package Theft—A Ring camera recorded a man on a bicycle taking a package from a porch near Washington and Dewey on Apr. 19.

Weapons Related

Shots Fired—Both on Apr. 22, in the 1000 block of Hull and the 1100 block of Davis. Officers were called to both scenes. Areas were checked with negative results for shells or bullet casings.

Unlawful Possession of a Weapon—In a series of events familiar to readers, an investigative stop on Apr. 22 led to the arrest of a man for no FOID card along with unlawful possession of a loaded Heckler & Koch VP9 9 mm handgun and 129.5 grams of cannabis. (Note: the legal limit per personal possession of weed is 30 grams.) It’s also illegal to consume it in public places.

Random Notes

• Beware of lost pet scams. One resident reported receiving a call regarding the recovery of her missing cat. The caller claimed to be associated with the Evanston Animal Shelter and required $3,000 to cover medical care for the cat. The cat’s owner did the right thing and called EPD instead. No word yet on whether the cat and its owner have been reunited.
• Huzzah! EPD has been selected as the Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board's 2025 Illinois Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Department of the Year. The award recognizes EPD’s outstanding commitment to crisis intervention, de-escalation, and collaboration with mental health professionals in serving the Evanston community.
• On Apr. 17, a Main Library patron overheard a conversation between two individuals, one of whom self-claimed to be the “Pickpocket King.” A short while later, the patron noticed that his phone and cash were missing from his pocket. (Note: the suspicious person is not the man arrested on Apr. 4).
• Evanston’s Farmers’ Market is scheduled to open on Saturday, May 5! Parking is free with validation at the 1800 Maple Street Parking Garage. Please remember to leave your pooch at home; only service animals are allowed.

Inquiring Minds: How GPS Trackers Help Recover Stolen Vehicles.

They're about $25 each.

We received this great question from Reader J.P. this week: “I’ve seen AirTags® mentioned a number of times related to the recovery of stolen vehicles. What exactly are they?” 

Glad you asked. The AirTag®, originally designed to help users locate lost personal items, has emerged as a useful tool for recovering stolen vehicles. It is Apple’s branded GPS tracker. Samsung and other manufacturers offer Android versions. To keep this discussion simple, we’ll refer to the Apple device. Android trackers perform the same basic functions.

They are small, coin-sized trackers that use Apple's Find My network—a vast system of connected Apple devices—to provide real-time location tracking, even without a direct GPS connection. As recently as last month, a 2015 Jeep Cherokee stolen out of Evanston was recovered in Chicago thanks to an AirTag concealed in the vehicle. 

How it Works

Car owners place trackers in hidden spots within their vehicles—under seats, inside glove compartments, or in the trunk. If a vehicle is stolen, the AirTag continues to broadcast its location through nearby Apple devices, without the thief even realizing it’s there.

Law enforcement agencies, including EPD, have seen the value of these devices. The quick location data provided by AirTags allows police to track stolen cars more efficiently and sometimes catch suspects in the act.

Experts advise pairing GPS trackers with additional security measures, such as steering wheel locks or car alarms. While not a replacement for traditional anti-theft systems, trackers can add an extra layer of protection and peace of mind for vehicle owners.

There is a Dark Side

These devices are not without controversy. Some manufacturers, including Apple, have implemented anti-stalking features that alert mobile phone users if an unknown device is moving with them. (Example: a person tracking the movements of a potential victim.) These alerts typically take several hours to activate—but that can be enough time for law enforcement to intervene.

Vehicle thefts tend to spike in warmer weather. With that said, tracking devices like these offer a low-cost means to improve the odds of recovery. Their growing use underscores how consumer tech can have unanticipated benefits in everyday life and security.

Thanks, J.P. for the question.

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.