It’s been more than 20 years since Evanston police Commander Scott Sophier was a frequent presence on the Oakton College campus in Des Plaines, but the college did not forget him.
On Sept. 11, Oakton, which was called Oakton Community College when Sophier, of Skokie, attended, presented him and three others with a 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award.
“It felt really great,” Sophier said of receiving the award. “It’s great to see things come full circle and celebrate the accomplishments of other professionals in this space in this area.”
Sophier, who received his associate’s degree from Oakton in 2004, said, “I believe the role of police officer has changed a lot since I have grown older and matured.”
A 22-year veteran of the Evanston police, Sophier is known for community-focused policing, said Ewa Lyczewska, spokeswoman for the college, in a statement.
“Sophier conducts workshops on trauma-informed de-escalation and bystander intervention, mentors emerging officers, and works to strengthen the bond between the department and the people it serves,” she said.
Sophier began his career as a community service officer with Mount Prospect police from 2001-03, he said. After becoming a sworn police officer, he was hired by Evanston as a patrol officer in 2003.
He became a sergeant in 2015 and commander of the community relations unit in 2024, Sophier said.
“My role now involves community relations and engagement,” he said. “I am a liaison to various community groups. I attend monthly or quarterly meetings to get feedback to bring back to the police department and begin new initiatives in the city.”
Sophier said he fosters relationships between police and the community.
“It’s important to show police are human beings,” he said. “A lot of the concerns people might bring are legitimate in their eyes. They deserve the attention of the police department to help them resolve issues or point them to resources that might better assist them with those issues.”
Among the programs Sophier has led are an officer wellness program and the Crisis Alternative Response Evanston, or CARE, initiative, he said.
“I led a peer support program for five years before becoming a supervisor,” Sophier said. “It focuses on the well-being of officers, non-sworn members of the department, and their families. During times of professional or personal difficulty, we’re there to listen and provide resources if they are in need of something greater than speaking to a peer.”
CARE, which uses city parks and recreation employees to answer calls, is the first civilian responder program in Illinois, he said. At the end of its first year last July, CARE had responded to nearly 2,000 calls for service, Sophier said.
“The program is housed in Parks and Recreation,” he said, referring to a City of Evanston department.
“Unlike a co-response program, the CARE team responds without police. They receive a safety screening before they get the call. They work off of our radio system to answer calls, and we can hear where they’re going and they can call for an officer immediately, if they need one.”
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For example, the CARE team might respond to a call of a person sleeping on the sidewalk, Sophier said.
“Somebody is concerned,” he said. “They’re not sure if the person is intoxicated or unhoused. They check and see if they’re having their needs met. They provide ongoing resources if they’re available or just a blanket, food and water, if needed.”
Other alumni honored this year were Broderick Hollins Sr. of Chicago, Monika Makurath of Aushburn, Virginia, and Dorothy Wisniewski of Mount Prospect.