City Of Evanston: Evanston Police Chief Demitrous Cook Announces Retirement From Evanston Police Department

Press release from the City of Evanston:

06/07/2021 3:04 PM

Evanston Police Chief Demitrous Cook today announced his retirement from the Evanston Police Department after four decades of police service. 

Chief Cook has served as Evanston police chief since January of 2019, and has dedicated more than 30 years of his law enforcement career to serving the residents of Evanston, including through positions with the Evanston Police Department and Northwestern University Police Department. 

“It has been an honor to serve this community for more than 30 years,” Chief Cook said. “Public safety requires building a strong partnership and positive relationships between the community and the police officers who serve them each and every day. I would like to thank the entire Evanston community, City Manager Erika Storlie and the Evanston City Council for their support as we have worked to improve quality of life, solve problems, and make our city safer for all who live, work and visit here.”

Under Chief Cook’s leadership, the Evanston Police Department enhanced its focus on building positive police-community relations, continuing community engagement initiatives such as Coffee with a Cop, Star Academy, the Citizen Police Academy, the Officer and Gentlemen Academy mentorship program, Five-O Fitness program, National Night Out, and the Youth Citizen Police Academy. The department also improved its complaint process, making it easier and more comfortable for community members to file police complaints.

In 2021, under Chief Cook’s leadership, the department achieved federal Use of Force Certification from the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, and in 2020 worked with The Northwestern Neighborhood & Network Initiative (N3) to conduct an external review of its Use of Force Policy.

Chief Cook also oversaw upgrades to the department’s radio communication system, improving reliability and enhancing interoperability with surrounding police departments, including in response to critical incidents.

Cook began his law enforcement career in 1981 as a police supervisor with the Northwestern University Police Department, serving both the Chicago and Evanston campuses. In 1984, he joined the Evanston Police Department as a patrol officer, rising through the ranks to become deputy chief of police in 2004, overseeing the department’s Support Services Division and later the Investigative Services Division. In 2010, Cook was hired as the chief of police for the Glenwood Police Department. He returned to Evanston in 2019 as police chief.

For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply dial 311 in Evanston.

This press release was produced by the City of Evanston. The views expressed here are the author’s own.