Detectives from the police department’s Neighborhood Enforcement Team assigned to the newly implemented violence reduction initiative recovered two handguns in separate incidents on Sept. 22, 2015, said Commander Joseph Dugan of the Evanston Police Department. At approximately 4:00 p.m., detectives received information that a handgun was secreted in the rear of a location in the 2100 block of Ridge Avenue. Detectives proceeded to the location and recovered a Ruger 9mm handgun. At approximately 10:00 p.m., the detectives received information that a handgun was located in the rear of a location in the 1700 block of Wesley Avenue. At that location, detectives recovered a Ruger .380 caliber handgun that was reported stolen out of Tennessee. No arrests were made in either incident. Both weapons were inventoried in order to be sent to the Northeastern Illinois Crime Laboratory for further examination.
The violence reduction strategy was initiated in response to community concerns about recent violence involving the use of handguns, said Commander Dugan. As part of the initiative, detectives from the department’s Neighborhood Enforcement Team and Tactical Unit are specifically assigned each day to work at recovering firearms. The detectives have an exhaustive knowledge of individuals involved in the ongoing conflicts in our community and utilize investigative techniques such as tips, confidential informants, social media and investigative stops to focus on known firearm offenders.
Anyone with information regarding crime in the Evanston community is asked to contact the Evanston Police Department at (847) 866-5000 or use Text-A-Tip anonymously by texting the information to CRIMES (274637) and entering EPDTIP in the message line with the tip information.