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Every week, Linda Hansen attends the Evanston Police Department’s
Deployment Meetings, takes notes on various topics and writes about other
police-related matters of interest to ordinary citizens like her. Linda Hansen is a writer
who has lived in Evanston for 25 years.
She is also a proud member of the Citizen Police Academy Class #39 now in session.
In the Squad Room - Bicycle Thieves
The Major Incidents & Accidents map for the
period of April 18-23 wasn’t dotted with as many icons as the previous
reporting period, but there was a wide spectrum of criminal offenses – gang
graffiti, burglaries, robberies, batteries and bicycle thefts (though we’ll
address those at the end of this article).
Notably, there were two separate incidents of armed robberies in South
Evanston and a third on the West Side.
Lights, camera, action: In addition to the
usual PowerPoint presentation, this week’s Deployment Meeting featured a movie
premiere. The EPD has just finished a 10-minute
video on its community policing strategies.
Prior to This Week
- Jamal Sutton-Malone was arrested on April 21 as he was burglarizing a
vehicle on the 1000 block of Mulford St.
- The 1900 block of Jackson continues to be an area of interest for the
EPD as two “man-with-a-gun” disturbance calls were made on April 17 and April
20.
- Bicycles were stolen in four separate incidents in the 1200 block of
Chicago Avenue between April 15 and 18. In
all four, the bicycles were locked in a storage area. A similar incident
occurred on April 16 in the 2200 block of Sherman Avenue.
- Three individuals in the 1000 block of Florence were robbed of their
cell phones and cash when confronted by two individuals armed with a handgun on
April 20. An arrest was made for handgun possession related to this case.
- On April 21, a thief or thieves broke into the basement of a single-family
residence in the 1000 block of Dewey and took gold coins with an estimated
value in the thousands.
- An unfortunate passenger napping on a city bus awoke to find his laptop
computer missing on April 18.
- Police noted new gang graffiti in Lovelace Park and tagging on utility
boxes and poles around the city.
- Evanston police officers arrested one individual in an April 17th incident
in the 500 block of Howard Street. A
fight between these two individuals escalated into a stabbing.
- Armed robberies in South Evanston included an April 17 incident on the
1000 block of Brummel when a victim was robbed of his iPhone and a second
incident on April 18 when a female was robbed of her laptop computer and
backpack.
- Police are investigating a residential burglary in the 800 block of
Elmwood in which a laptop computer, iPhone and iPad were taken.
- Several individuals were taken into custody for battery that took place
on a CTA train near Main Street April 19th.
Looking Ahead
- On April 24, drivers in Evanston will be under the intense scrutiny of
the EPD on the lookout for distracted drivers who continue to ignore the
hands-free cell phone law. There have
been 140 tickets issued already this month by the traffic bureau.
- Cyclists – you’re being watched, too.
Riding on sidewalks in the downtown area is not allowed. Consider yourselves warned (for the second
time).
- Police will be keeping an eye on the western portions of Lake Street
where there have been reports of drag racing. Yes, drag racing.
- Police will continue to monitor known gang hot spots with emphasis on
Howard Street area where violence concerns continue and the 1900 block of
Jackson Ave.
Inquiring Minds – Bike Theft Prevention
 Anyone
who has ever owned a bicycle has had a bicycle stolen. I am loath to count the number that have
vanished from our household over the years - at least four and maybe more. One was u-locked to a bike rack right in
front of 1603 Orrington, two more were stolen from an unlocked back porch and
one (an inside job, no doubt) disappeared from the locked basement of a
three-flat in Chicago where we lived.
These bicycles ranged from garage sale models to decent Treks, Giants
and Bianchis.
In
this week’s meeting, the Crime Analyst reported that more temperate weather has
given rise to bike thefts. This year,
though, she’s reporting a difference. Bikes with ‘theft-proof’ locks or kept in
‘secure’ storage areas are disappearing. There were five reported thefts in just the
past week. It’s important to point out that most bicycle thefts (including
mine) are unreported. Victims suspect
that by the time they file a report, their ride has been dispatched to some
other jurisdiction. I asked Commander
Jay Parrott what happens to these bikes and here’s what he had to say: “In most
cases, after bicycles are stolen they are sold on the street for anywhere from
$10-$25 unless the thief is well versed on the value in which case those may
end up at a used bike shop within the inner city…”
In
spite of what looks kind of like a hopeless situation, you can take some simple
steps to protect your bikes:
- Always, always lock your
bike. This is a crime of opportunity.
- Use more than one locking
mechanism. U-locks are still more effective than cable locks. Use the smallest ones since the shorter
length gives thieves less room to work with crowbars or other tools.
- De-glamorize it. A piece of duct tape on the seat can make a
pristine Trek look distressed. If you’re
really brave, spray-painting part of the frame in Day-Glo colors is a definite
deterrent.
- Remove the seat or the front
wheel and take them with you.
- Don’t park your bike in the
same place every time.
- Park in a very public,
visible area.
- Know the serial number of
your bike.
-
Register your bike with the
Evanston Police Department via the website. It’s always possible that your ride may be
recovered.
-
Consider bike insurance if
you have a very expensive bike. There
are companies that sell bike insurance with premiums that start at a few
hundred dollars a year. Or you can do what I do:
- Use your beater (1972
Schwinn Collegiate) for running errands around town and keep the 2008 Trek 1.2
in the dining room.
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The ON-GOING GUN BUYBACK
PROGRAM allows Evanston residents to turn in an operational firearm to
police at any time in exchange for $100. Residents can utilize this
service by calling 311 or the Evanston Police Department
non-emergency line at 847-866-5000. A police officer will pick up the unwanted
firearm at the residents’ address and present the resident with a voucher that
can be exchanged for $100 at the city collector’s office located in the Morton
Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.
Firearms should not be handled or brought to
the police department. An officer will call the resident after a request is
made for the officer to come to a person's residence and retrieve the firearm.
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What
would you like to know about what the Evanston Police Department is doing to
fight crime? Let us know if you have specific questions or concerns about
issues in your neighborhood. Submissions are always welcome at police@cityofevanston.org
or by calling the community strategies bureau at (847) 866-5019.
If you’d like to receive Evanston’s Daily Crime Report by email, you can subscribe here or
view the Monthly Crime Statistics that are reported on a yearly basis to
the FBI by clicking here.
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The
Spring 12-week Citizen Police Academy just finished week 8 and graduation is only a month away. If you’d like to learn more about the Evanston Police
Department, take an active role in Community Oriented Policing and join the
ranks of 800 graduates since 1995, please visit www.cityofevanston.org/cpa and plan ahead
to enroll in the Fall 2014 class which starts in the end of August. There
is no cost to anyone who lives or works in Evanston. |
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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