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Every week, Linda Hansen, an Evanston resident, 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.
In the Squad Room - Crime Analyst to the Rescue
Evanston's Crime Analyst is tasked with monitoring criminal activities in and around Evanston, reporting on them, and spotting patterns using a wide range of resources. This week, the analyst came to the aid of this ordinary citizen. Any reader of this post knows that one of the many highlights from the Deployment Meetings, other than the Chief's comments, are the recaps provided by the Crime Analyst. The analyst always provides a map that depicts the week’s crime in all eight beats, using various icons that depict Man With a Gun, Shots Fired, Bicycle Theft and about 10 other calls.
My crime for the week was missing the Deployment Meeting. As I sauntered across Elmwood Avenue on Wednesday, I was met by a friendly commander who asked “Deployment?”. “Yes”, I said. He politely informed me I’d missed the meeting scheduled a day before. I didn't get the memo. I was a day late and not five minutes early. As I was contemplating just turning around in humiliation and despair, he reminded me that the Crime Analyst was in the office and would probably be willing to give me a private audience. She was and she did.
Guns figured prominently in the events of 6/26-7/1.
Deployment Meeting – Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Prior to This Week
- The 1800 block of Ashland Avenue has seen more than 12 disturbance
calls since January. The EPD continues
to monitor the nature of these calls.
- There have been several arrests involving weapon charges in the past
month. Five of these involved felons who
were arrested on weapons violations.
Recent arrests include Brandon Henry on 6/23, Denzel Olagbegi on 6/24
and Vincent Brooks on 6/29.
- On 6/26, CPD arrested stalking suspect and Evanston resident Robert
Drymalski, age 45. Drymalski was
previously arrested in connection with the stalking of an Evanston female back
in February of this year.
- On 6/28, Albert Norman, age 22, was shot and killed in his vehicle on
the 1900 block of Brown Avenue at 12:45 AM. Residents in the area made ‘shots fired’ calls
to 911 and a patrol officer in the area also heard the gunfire. The victim, shot multiple times, was found in
a vehicle that had rolled into a tree. Norman was pronounced DOA at Evanston
Hospital.
- A few hours later on 6/28, a 50-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound
to the leg on the 1900 block of Dodge Avenue. An investigation is underway to
determine whether the two shooting incidents are related.
- Between 6/26 and 6/30, the EPD received four additional ‘shots fired’
calls. Note: Given the presence of
illegal fireworks as the 4th of July holiday approaches, the EPD aren't always able to confirm whether these were gunshots or firecrackers.
- Beat 74 saw a number of garage burglaries between 6/26 and 7/1. In 4 of the 5 incidents, the garage doors were
unlocked. In three cases, lawnmowers and
snow blowers were stolen.
- More crimes of opportunity: 13 bicycles were stolen during the
reporting period, two from bike racks.
Thefts cluster around the late morning hours and early-late evenings.
- Be On the Look Out (BOLO), citizens: Several home invasions have been reported on the north
side of Chicago and in Skokie. Working
in pairs, robbers sometimes pose as police officers searching for someone or
something. They have restrained
terrified residents with zip ties and brandished weapons while removing valuables
from the home. Remember: Do not open (or
unlock) your door to strangers. When in
doubt, ask the stranger to remain outside while you call 911. It’s likely that a genuine Evanston cop can
be at your door in less than five minutes.
- At 9 AM on 6/30, Police investigated a crash involving a bicycle and a
motorcycle on the 600 block of Church Street.
No citations were issued. The
bicyclist, Gigi Galich, 55, of Evanston - died at Evanston Hospital on 7/2 as a
result of her injuries.
Looking Ahead
- Fourth of July celebrations are expected to attract thousands of
people to the Evanston Fourth of July Association's parade on Central Street and fireworks display at the lakefront. EPD patrol officers will be out
in force to keep the festivities safe and fun.
Remember – bottle rockets, firecrackers and even sparklers are dangerous
and illegal in Evanston. So is drinking in public parks and the
beaches.
Inquiring Minds - When the Police Need to Call the Police
 Question:
Does Evanston have a SWAT team?
Answer:
Yes and no.
First
of all, for those of you who don’t know or remember what SWAT stands for – it’s
Special Weapons and Tactics. Specially trained EPD officers – we have two – are
part of a regional SWAT team known as NIPAS – the Northern Illinois Police
Alarm System. The Emergency Services
Team is deployed for hostage incidents, major crime scene
searches, search and rescue missions and other high-risk tactical incidents.
The team is structured in nine units, each with a
unique function. Most are cross-trained
to provide backup in certain situations. This tactical squad was founded in 1987. Today, NIPAS has over 70 member agencies –
from Addison to Zion. Additionally,
NIPAS has a Mobile Field Force, deployed primarily for crowd control and safety
measures in labor-related conflicts and social, or political, demonstrations.
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 The ONGOING 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 (847-448-4311 outside of Evanston) 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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 Interested in learning 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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 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 at the end of August. There is no cost to anyone who lives or works in Evanston.
Apply Now for the Youth CPA, July 14 - 18, 2014
Application deadline: July 11
The goal of the Youth CPA Program, ages 13 - 17, is to develop positive relationships between teens and law enforcement, while breaking down the barriers between them. (This is not a boot camp type of program.) The interactive curriculum includes a tour of police headquarters, CSI practices, an overview of SWAT operations, class experiments and exercises in self-defense, and an explanation of use-of-force decision-making. Students will also receive a jacket and diploma upon completion of the Academy. Class size is limited to 25 and applications are being taken now.
For more information or to request an application, call 847 859-7843 or email: lspells@cityofevanston.org
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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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