Evanston and University police looking into student thefts at Nevin’s

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Daily file photo by Jack Lido

Tommy Nevin’s Pub, 1454 Sherman Ave, which was a popular bar for students. Evanston and University police are investigating students who stole items from the pub last month.

Ryan Wangman, City Editor

In the wake of a “last Nevin’s” celebration last month that turned sour after some patrons — many of them likely Northwestern students — stole memorabilia from Tommy Nevin’s Pub, Evanston and University police are working to identify potential suspects.

Evanston police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan said officers are reviewing video surveillance from the pub from the night of Nov. 16. He said the initial police report indicated three dart boards, three stools and eight pool cues had disappeared, but the pub’s employees later realized there were more missing items.

Dugan said if a person who didn’t return an item is caught, it will be considered a misdemeanor theft. No one has been charged yet, he said.

Ed Carrella, the CEO of Sonas Hospitality, Nevin’s parent company, said employees chased some of those dashing away with items down the street, but it was hard to quantify what was taken. He said although some of the items have been returned with apology letters, he estimates 75 percent of them are still missing.

The night following the incident, the bar had to take down its decorations to prevent future theft, Carrella said. He stressed that the company wasn’t looking to punish people, but that the pub just wants its memorabilia back.

“Tommy Nevin’s has always been a place where we’ve always had a great atmosphere. We’ve enjoyed the Northwestern students coming in and patronizing our establishment,” Carrella said. “With that regard, we’ve always respected their position in the community, I would hope that they would respect ours.”

Brian Davenport, Nevin’s bar manager, decried the “looting” of the pub by NU students in a letter to the editor published in The Daily. He said every picture “unceremoniously” taken from the walls contained a piece of Evanston history and community stories.

Davenport added that NU students shouldn’t damage town-gown relationships by stealing because they “don’t know how to decorate” their rooms.

Dean of Students Todd Adams told The Daily in an email that the University was committed to helping with the investigation.

“We are deeply troubled by the incident at Nevin’s last month and are working with local authorities in an attempt to identify those involved and, if they are indeed members of the Northwestern community, take appropriate action,” Adams said.

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