Evanston Sees 17% Drop in Roadway Crashes From 2009 to 2012

The City says it has seen a reduction in motor vehicle crashes since it passed an ordinance banning hand-held cell phone while driving.

  Evanston has seen a drop in motor vehicle crashes since passing an ordinance banning hand-held cell phones while driving in January 2010, according to a press release.  "The enforcement efforts by Evanston Police since the enactment of the hands-free driving ordinance have clearly shown that eliminating the usage of a hand-held device while operating a motor vehicle reduces accidents, which in turn makes our streets safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists," said Evanston Police Cmdr. Jason Parrott.  Data collected by the Evanston Police Department shows a 17 percent drop in all roadway crashes from 2009 through 2012, with 416 fewer roadway crashes during that period. Injury crashes also dropped 14.5 percent from 2009 through 2012.  …

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LaVerne

1:06 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013

they need to include people on bikes and walking against the light   more ›

ECTV's 'The Reporters'

Evanston Police Chief Talks Homicide Investigations, Residency Requirements

Evanston Police Chief Richard Eddington answered questions from reporters during a recent taping of the ECTV show 'The Reporters.'

Evanston Police Chief Richard Eddington talked about the investigations of two recent homicides, the effects of a "no snitch culture" and why the police have joined Twitter in a recent episode of 'The Reporters.' Eddington answered questions from four local reporters on the ECTV show, which is streamed live on cable channel 6 on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and on Thursdays and Saturdays at 6 p.m. He also talked about residency requirements for police officers, the police department's new armored surveillance vehicle and how youth outreach officers are making a difference. Evanston Review's Bob Seidenberg moderates, with panelists Ciara McCarthy of the Daily Northwestern, Shawn Jones of the Evanston Roundtable and Jenny Fisher of Evanston Patch.

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Man Arrested After Bomb Threats to Evanston Buildings, Police Say

Evanston police say the 33-year-old man made several calls threatening to blow up the Civic Center and police department building.

  Evanston police say they’ve arrested a Chicago man for making telephone bomb threats, according to a press release.  Vincente L. Alford, 33, made four calls between 10:30 a.m. and 11a.m. on May 1 threatening to blow up the Civic Center and police department building, police said.  Police say the calls were traced back to Alford, who apparently made the calls because he was upset over getting a parking ticket earlier in the day.  Alford, of the 7500 block of N. Claremont Ave., Chicago, was charged with two counts of transmitting threats over the telephone, Class B misdemeanors. He is scheduled to appear in court on May 29.

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New Police Truck Has 6 Video Cameras With Live Feed

The Evanston Police Department recently deployed a new armored surveillance vehicle with six videocameras that record its surroundings and transmit a live feed to police at the station and in the field.

A repurposed Brinks security truck outfitted with six video cameras and 500 pounds of batteries is the Evanston Police Department’s newest crime-fighting tool.  Police Det. Brian Bartz retrofitted the armored surveillance vehicle with cameras that record and transmit the truck’s surroundings in real-time, meaning that police can park the truck anywhere in Evanston and monitor disturbances from six live video feeds. The hope is that the presence of the new vehicle at a particular location will help deter crime, while the video cameras could make it possible to catch criminals in the act.  “We’re able to cover an area without an actual police officer in the vehicle,” Police Cmdr. Jason Parrott said at a media event unveiling the truck on …

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Witnesses Chase Down Suspected Cell Phone Snatcher

Evanston police say they’ve arrested an 18-year-old in connection with a cell phone theft in James Park. Two witnesses pursued the suspect after they saw him snatch the phone, according to police.

Evanston police have arrested an 18-year-old in connection with a cell phone theft in James Park that occurred on April 29, police say.  Francisco Gonzales, 18, of the 1200 block of Harvard Ter., Evanston, was charged with a Class 4 Felony for theft from a person and was issued a May 10 court date in Skokie, according to police.  On Monday evening, a 53-year-old man was using his cell phone in the 300 block of Dodge Avenue when someone approached him from behind and snatched the cell phone from his hand.  Witnesses chased the man and police later located the robber in the 1800 block of Kirk Street, where police say the victim identified Gonzales as the person who stole his phone. Evanston police are reminding people that several incidents …

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Evanston Police Now On Twitter, Shared Crime Map

Evanston Police Department launched its new Twitter account @EvanstonPD this week.

The Evanston Police Department recently joined Twitter, as @EvanstonPD, and the first thing they shared was a map of crimes in the city.  Cmdr. Jay Parrott says the new Twitter handle, which the department launched Monday, aims to improve the police department’s communication with residents and to get information out easier and quicker, the Daily Northwestern reported.

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Evanston Police Hold Community Meetings

Evanston Police Department’s Problem Solving Team Officers will hold beat meetings around the neighborhood from April 17 through May 7.

All meetings start at 7 p.m. and last until around 8:30 p.m. Meeting Schedule and Locations: Wednesday, April 17 PST Beats  601 & 603 1st Ward, 3rd Ward, 4th Ward & 7th Ward. (Ald. Fiske, Wilson, Wynne & Grover) Main Library, 1703 Orrington Ave., Large Community Room.  Thursday, April 18 PST Beat  605 8th Ward (Ald. Rainey) Howard St. Police Outpost, 633 Howard St.  Tuesday, April 23 PST Beat  606 6th Ward  (Ald. Tendam) Curt’s Café, 2922 Central St.  Wednesday, April 24 PST Beat  602 5th Ward (Ald. Holmes)  Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, 1655 Foster St.  Thursday, April 25 PST Beat  607 9th Ward (Ald. Burrus) Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave., craft room A. Tuesday, May 7 PST Beat  604 2nd Ward (Ald. Braithwaite) Washington …

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Evanston Police Start Drug Disposal, Collection Program

Evanston Police Department and Save a Star Drug Awareness Foundation have established a program where residents can safely discard unwanted or unused medications.

Have unwanted or unused medications lying around the house? Now you can get rid of them safely with a new pill disposal and collection program started by the Evanston Police Department and Save A Star Drug Awareness Foundation, according to the city’s website. The program aims to keep prescription drugs away from people who might otherwise become victims of prescription drug abuse. According to the city’s website, teens abuse prescription drugs more than any illicit street drug except marijuana and 70 percent of people who abuse prescription drugs say they get them out of the medicine cabinets of family and friends. Where? Front lobby of the Evanston Police Department, 1454 Elmwood Ave., open 24 hours a day What’s accepted? Prescription …

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Evanston City Workers Took 21% More Sick Leave in 2012

City workers took an average of 3.84 hours of sick leave per month last year.

Evanston city employees took more paid sick leave in 2012 than in 2011, taking an average of 3.84 hours per month or about 21 percent more from 2011, when workers took an average of 3.17 hours of sick leave, Evanston Now reported.  The City of Evanston’s police, fire and parks departments, the largest departments, saw the biggest percentage increase in terms of paid sick leave time, while some smaller departments showed modest decreases, according to city manager Wally Bobkiewicz.  Nationally, state and local government workers took an average of 3.6 hours of paid sick leave per month, based on a 2010 report by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the New York Times reported.  Even with the increase in Evanston city workers taking sick …

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