While covering a Nov. 10 protest led by @copsoutofNU, I spoke to an Evanston resident who experienced an easy relationship between EPD and Evanston residents. He put NIPAS in a different category, saying they appeared "dangerous." 🧵:
As of yesterday, we learned EPD police chief is responsible for all NIPAS calls and behavior, including calling for the firing of pepper balls on NU students on 10/31. Some of these students needed medical attention.
And while NIPAS, with their numbers and ammunition, appears chiefly responsible for larger, crowd control activities, EPD typically handles arrests.
I've spotted EPD arrest vehicles present at almost every NUCNC protests, big or small.
While covering NUCNC, I've noticed esp. in higher-income, White parts of Evanston that residents see the police relationship as peaceful.
( I work at a a local Evanston restaurant, and customers will often offer to pay for EPD officers meals when they eat at the restaurant.)
The idea, it seems to me, is that many residents in these higher-income, predominantly White parts of Evanston see the community as a gold-standard, liberal community where police and citizens get along.
When police are recorded engaging in violence, the blame shifts elsewhere.