Violent Crime Rose in Evanston in 2012; Overall Crime Stayed Flat

Violent crimes increased in Evanston from 2011 to 2012, although overall crime numbers stayed relatively flat, according to Evanston Police Chief Richard Eddington. 

The total number of violent crimes—including murder, criminal sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault and battery—increased from 180 in 2011 to 235 in 2012, according to police figures released on Friday. When police add in the statistics from burglaries, thefts, motor vehicle thefts and arsons, the total number of major crimes actually decreased from 2011 to 2012 by .7 percent, according to Eddington.

Stay up to date on the latest Evanston news by signing up for our free newsletter.

Police departments classify crimes in two groups, as defined by Federal Bureau of Investigation guidelines on crime reporting. Violent crimes and property crimes are considered to be more serious offenses and are classified as Part I crimes, or major crimes. Part II crimes include simple assault, curfew offenses, loitering, embezzlement, forgery, disorderly conduct, driving under the influence and drug offenses, among others, and are tracked separately. The police department has yet to release statistics on Part II crimes.

Violent Crimes Rose Due to Spike in Assault, Battery 

The total number of violent crimes increased largely because of a spike in aggravated assaults and batteries, from 96 in 2011 to 143 in 2012, according to police figures.  The number of murders (3) and criminal sexual assaults (5) remained the same from year to year, while the number of robberies increased from 76 in 2011 to 79 in 2012. 

Speaking to reporters in a press conference Friday morning, Eddington said that aggravated assault and battery numbers had risen in part due to an ongoing feud or conflict between two factions of residents that resulted in three murders and several other violent incidents. 

“We have several groups of people who are not fond of each other living in close proximity,” Eddington said. “Random encounters can lead to violent outcomes in those settings.” 

Eddington said that same ongoing conflict was also related to the shooting deaths of three young men in 2012, beginning with 14-year-old Evanston Township High School freshman Dajae Coleman. Coleman was shot and killed in what police said was a case of mistaken identity on Sept. 22. Evanston resident Wesley Woodson, 20, has since been charged with Coleman’s murder and pled not guilty in Cook County Circuit Court.

Police have yet to charge a suspect in the other two shooting deaths of 2012, which took place within a few weeks span. , was shot and killed on Nov. 29, while , was shot and killed on Dec. 12.  And on Dec. 8, a 20-year-old Evanston man was shot multiple times and critically injured in an attempted murder.

Police have said that all three incidents may stem back to a murder at the Keg in 2005 that resulted in an ongoing feud between members of two local families. 

“The attempted murder and the homicides are all revolving around that conflict,” Eddington said. “It’s some permutation of that conflict. That’s the driver of the homicides in the city of Evanston at this time.” 

Asked whether he was including Dajae Coleman’s death on that list of homicides, Eddington said police believe it was, indeed, related to the other incidents.

“It was a case where Wesley Woodson thought he was going out to defend a family member and, in his state of mind, made multiple horrible decisions that resulted in the tragic death of young Mr. Coleman,” Eddington said.

Eddington said police are continuing to investigate the deaths of Justin Murray and Javar Bamberg, but are stymied by a lack of cooperation from people who could provide police with enough information to press charges. 

“It is my opinion that there are people who know what happened, who witnessed what happened, who are disinclined to come forward either because they’re participants in the conflict or are adhering to a ‘no snitch culture,’” Eddington said. 

City, Police Take Steps to Combat Violent Crime 

Eddington said the city and police department have taken several measures to combat the increase in violent crime, including placing a second school resource officer at Evanston Township High School and adding evening activities like roller-skating to the city’s recreational offerings, in order to keep young people off the streets.

The city has also introduced programs to help provide job training and employment opportunities to residents between the ages of 18 and 25, he said. For example, the intergovernmental agreement to add a second police officer at Evanston Township High School also included a provision for the high school to add a staff member who will focus on vocational training for students. 

“We know that those employment options will reduce opportunities for crime and make those students productive citizens,” he said. 

Decrease in Theft Contributes to Drop in Property Crimes

While violent crime increased, the number of property crimes overall decreased from 2011 to 2012, primarly due to a decrease in the number of thefts, according to police figures. That figure decreased from 1,673 in 2011 to 1,570 in 2012.

While the number of motor vehicle thefts and arsons did not change significantly from 2011 to 2012, the number of burglaries rose from 400 to 425. 

Eddington said he believed that figure rose  because the department redeployed police officers in the fall of 2012, in an attempt to reduce violent incidents and retaliation among the two conflicting groups. Typically, the fall is a time when more burglaries occur, and the department devotes more resources to preventing them—but preventing violent incidents was more important, he said.

“The crimes against persons took precedence over property crimes,” he said. 

Metal Thefts Could Be An Issue In 2013 

Looking forward, Eddington said he believed metal thefts might increase in 2013, including theft of copper downspouts and theft catalytic converters. Both items contain metal that can be melted and resold to metal scrappers.

Within the last few weeks, Evanston has seen a rash of catalytic converter thefts, according to Cmdr. Jason Parrott, a spokesperson for the department. In those cases, thieves look for cars that are easy to crawl beneath, then saw off the catalytic converter and drive away. Residents should be cautious about parking cars on the street or in areas with bad lighting, he said.

City officials also recently arrested and charged two men with stealing copper downspouts, commonly found on homes and churches. The best way to prevent those thefts, according to Eddington, is to install motion detectors or lights.

In any situation, Eddington encouraged residents to contact the police department if they heard or saw anything suspicious, whether by calling 9-11 for an emergency, calling 847- 866-5000 for a non-emergency or texting the number 274637 with a message beginning with “EPDTIP” to submit an anonymous tip.