West Village Neighbors to Discuss Police Outpost

Community activists in the plan to speak out this week about a proposed new police outpost, which would be stationed inside the in the Dempster Plaza strip mall.

The Dewey-Darrow and Florence-Crain Neighbors will meet Thursday at Perla Cafe to discuss local issues, including the police outpost.

(Read earlier: Residents first discuss pros and cons of the outpost.)

Residents also plan on to asking city council Monday to hold public hearings on the issue and refrain from moving forward on the plan until they have received community input.

"[Putting the outpost in Dominick's] is an unprecedented action- there is no store in Evanston and not one Dominck's in the entire country which have police stationed within their store," wrote Dickelle Fonda, a community organizer in the area, in an alert to neighbors.

Neighbors met last month to first discuss the outpost, which some residents welcome and others see as a bad message about the nature of the area.

"It creates a perception of fear,” said Nancy Floy, owner and executive director of the Heartwood center, at the meeting in June. “That this is not a safe neighborhood to come into. And that is what we are working so hard to do. To change the perception here. To say, ‘this is the West Village. This is a hip cool community. Come bring your kids down.’”

The outpost was proposed in response to crime at the store, including several reported incidents of store employees being robbed or in or near Evanston Plaza.

The community meeting on Thursday will begin at 7 p.m.