History 6

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1999

At its meeting on July 31 in Montreal , Quebec , the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) accredits the Evanston Police Department for the third time. A team of assessors visited the Department in May and verified the Department’s compliance to over 400 CALEA standards (4th ed.). The Department was initially accredited in 1989 and again in 1994.

The NET unit (see 1995) and members of the Investigative Services Division apply for and are granted access to GRAB (Gang Reduction Analysis Bulletin), a computer intelligence network newly developed by the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department. The system is designed to be a resource for gang-drug intelligence gathering.

Partially funded by a grant, the department purchases a large van to serve as a mobile police outpost for promoting the police/community Partnership. Fully equipped with office space and equipment, the van also serves as a mobile command post for large special operations.

A new, part-time Senior Crime Prevention Specialist position is established to address the needs of the senior population. Evanston resident and Citizen Police Academy graduate Amanda Jones is the first to be hired under this program, which is funded by a grant from the Levy Foundation.

Frank Kreml, former EPD lieutenant and founder of Northwestern University ’s Traffic Institute, dies. A special ceremony honoring Mr. Kreml for his contributions to policing and traffic safety [see 1929, 1932, 1936, and 1995] is held at the police station, and a commemorative picture of Mr. Kreml is hung in the chief’s reception office.

After many months of work, renovations to the police station are completed. The project includes moving the Service Desk to the middle of the entrance hall (under the spiral staircase), opening customer service windows to the lobby for the Patrol and Traffic offices, adding a meeting room to the main lobby, and renovating office spaces in the Patrol Division area. In addition, the firing range is renovated and returned to full operation.

Commander Charles Wernick is appointed to Task Force Commander of NORTAF (North Regional Major Crimes Task Force), placing him in charge of the entire multi-agency task force [see 1997].

2000

The Problem Solving Team, consisting of the COPPS/bicycle officers and the Dodge Avenue Impact Car, moves back to the Patrol Division to better interact with motorized patrol units and to support the use of COPPS methods as a departmentwide strategy. The remainder of the PST, namely the crime prevention programs, school liaison programs, and community development, remain under the direction of the chief and is named Community Strategies.

The Victim/Witness Services Bureau and the Youth Services Bureau are combined on September 1 under one director, Cynthia Harris, to form the Police Social Services Bureau.

The department’s first street -surveillance video camera is installed at the intersection of Howard Street and Custer Avenue , a “hot spot” of trouble for many years. Activity on the street is recorded on videotapes and stored for thirty days. The goal of deterrence seems to be achieved as activity and calls for service are reduced.

2001

A new position is created October 8 to help the police department coordinate and manage the department’s computer systems. The new Technical Systems Coordinator is Gerry Morin.

The new Police Outpost opens at 633 Howard Street . Formerly a synagogue, the City purchases and renovates the building to include a large conference room in front and three offices in back. The outpost is used for meetings and activities by the police department, other city departments, and community groups. Chicago 's Rogers Park community organizations, as well as the Chicago Police Department, 24th District, are welcome participants at many outpost meetings and events.

Using grant money, the department’s first in car video cameras are installed in squad cars to record traffic stops.

2002

The police station undergoes a major renovation project that expands the property room; converts the old fire station bays into offices for Fire Department administrators; upgrades the space above the fire station bays to include more offices, a training room, and lockers for police personnel; and adds a large sally port to the north side of the building. The very out-of-date and poorly functioning cooling and heating systems are upgraded, also.

The police officers assigned to the Service Desk begin April 1 to be replaced by civilian desk officers. Cross-trained civilian telecommunicators for many years supplemented the traditional sworn desk officers who were the first contact with visitors (and nonemergency callers) to the police station. Sworn desk officers return to street duty as civilians are hired. The first civilian Service Desk Officer is Archie Oliver, a recently retired police officer who spent many years at the Service Desk.

 

 

To be continued…

 

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