In the wake of a July 4 mass shooting in Highland Park, Evanston police recently completed training they hope will help keep guns out of the hands of dangerous or mentally ill people who should not have them in the first place.
A dozen members of the department took part in threat assessment training in Naperville, presented by the U.S. Secret Service and The United States Attorney’s Office, said commander Ryan Glew.
He said one presentation was made by the National Threat Assessment Center and consisted of best practices in the field of threat assessment and applying a multidisciplinary approach to identify, assess, and intervene with individuals exhibiting concerning behaviors.
The second presentation, made by the Critical Protective Analysis Group, was an analysis of terrorist trends and tactics, said Glew.
“This was not tactical active shooter response training,” he said. “This was more looking for people that exhibit concerning behavior, behavior that indicates a threat or that could be a threat to the community and the different ways we could approach that, address it and potentially thwart anything dangerous before it occurs.”
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One way police can help prevent dangerous incidents is by using a Firearms Restraining Order, a tool Glew said is important for helping law enforcement and families to collaborate and prevent gun violence.
Firearms Restraining Orders are a legal tool that helps restricts access to firearms, ammunition and firearm parts to people who “exhibit conduct that suggests they have an elevated risk to harm themselves or others, especially family members,” he said.
“These are the things we can do, the training we can avail ourselves to stop these events before they happen,” Glew said. “Once they happen, we’re in a whole different set of training and skills which is responding to an active shooter, such at the incident in Highland Park.”
During the course, Evanston detectives received instruction on the two types of FROs, how to petition for an FRO and what evidence is required for the issuance of an FRO. Glew said thanks to the training, detectives can use the orders effectively to increase community safety.
“It doesn’t necessarily apply to one profile or person,” Glew said. “I think that’s why the assessment is important because hopefully it’s going to cast the widest net when concerning behavior comes to the attention of local law enforcement.”
When police encounter someone with access to firearms and signs of concerning behavior start to emerge, Glew said that precautionary steps include having potential FOID cards revoked and ensuring that all weapons are in a safe place where they can’t be used to harm anyone.
Evanston police have in the past taken firearms for “safe keeping” for several reasons, according to Glew. Before they are returned, he said there is a legal process that must be followed.
“We’re not going to take firearms out of dangerous or concerning situations and unilaterally give them back without the proper review and legal process,” he said.
But he also said police often run into problems identifying and eliminating “potential threats” because, in some cases, a family member helps the person that is a potential threat get a gun.
This was the case in the massing shooting at a July 4 parade in Highland Park. In that incident, Robert E. Crimo III, 21, is charged with killing seven people and wounding dozens more with a semi automatic rifle. His father allegedly helped him apply for a FOID card only months after Crimo threatened suicide and violence.
“A situation like Highland Park has highlighted something that is extremely concerning that people need to understand,” Glew said. “There may not be a way specifically for law enforcement to address it, but if you have somebody in your household that has multiple contacts with the police, you can’t — as a parent — be giving that individual access to firearms, or sponsor them to buy firearms they otherwise would not get without your sponsorship.”
The Evanston Police Department is better prepared to identify and address potential threats, but community cooperation is important, the department said in a release. If you believe you have information about potential threats to the public, please contact the Evanston Police Department at 847-866-5000 or Text-A-Tip to CRIMES (274637) and then start your message with EPDTIP.
“We do everything we can to the best of our ability, but there will be things that slip through the cracks that are outside of our control,” said Glew. “But we try to shrink those opportunities as much as possible within our ‘proactive approach’ and being as trained and proactive as possible is the key to shrinking those opportunities.”
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.