By Rebecca HuvalThe Daily Northwestern

The Evanston Police Department needs city residents’ help to stop crimes.

That was the message from a Seventh Ward crime prevention meeting held Tuesday night at the Evanston Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave. Seven officers spoke to more than 40 residents about the five burglaries that have occurred in the ward in one month. They asked residents to communicate more with the police.

“I’ll tell you what crime will happen in a neighborhood,” Deputy Chief Dennis L. Nilsson said. “It’s what you will allow. Some of the best tips and information we get comes from the citizens.”

Residents said they were concerned about police response to the recent burglaries. They asked how police solved and prevented crimes and how residents can secure their homes against potential trespassers.

The officers encouraged residents to get a free home security survey, where police personally evaluate the safety of a resident’s home. Officers asked homeowners to update their locks, buy Plexiglas windows that don’t open far enough for a burglar to crawl through and purchase bright lights with motion detectors.

Thieves can be easily deterred, officers said.

“I used to tell people to buy the biggest dog bowl and put ‘Buster’ on it and put it in your backyard,” Nilsson said.

Neighborhoods should form crime watch groups and buy streetlights for alleys, officers said. The lights can be purchased from utility companies for less than $100.

“They’re going to take the path of least resistance to get the most they can,” Deputy Chief Sam Pettineo said. “Having a dog or alarm makes them say, ‘Maybe I’ll go next door.'”

Many residents said they wanted to know more about how the police department works. They asked how many burglaries are solved, and Bellino said less than 50 percent are cleared. They also asked why crimes aren’t solved faster.

Nilsson gave an example. The American Legion Hall, 1030 Central St., was burglarized Oct. 22. The police just submitted fingerprints to a lab and will wait three to four months for a result.

“Now we’re waiting months while ‘Junior’ is still out there committing crimes,” he said. “It’s not like ‘CSI.'”

To clarify the process, officers asked residents to attend a Citizen Police Academy. The 12-week program teaches residents crime-solving techniques like fingerprinting and has them ride along in a patrol car.

Nilsson even encouraged residents outside the Academy to do a ride-along.

Susan McGarry, of Evanston, said she came to the meeting to learn how Evanston police solve crimes. She said she was interested in the academy but thought it might be too time-consuming.

“(The meeting) was helpful in terms of prevention,” McGarry said. “It’s difficult trying to catch a thief. That’s what I got out of it.”

Beth Coil, of Evanston, attended the meeting after her daughter’s store, Possibilities, 1235 Chicago Ave., was robbed twice.

“I think it makes you more aware of your home and your doors,” Coil said. “As they said, they can’t do it all. We have to help them.”

Reach Rebecca Huval at [email protected].