Bill Evans

William "Bill" Evans is a lieutenant with the Cook County Sheriff's Police Department and was a Democratic candidate running for the office of Cook County (Illinois) Sheriff in 2014. Cook County is the 2nd largest populated county in the United States.

History and law enforcement background

Law enforcement career

Evans began his law enforcement career as a Corrections Officer with the Cook County Sheriff's Department of Corrections in 1991. A year later, Evans was promoted to the Cook County Sheriff's Police Department as a Patrol Officer and Field Training Officer, assigned to patrol the 5th and 6th Districts. He worked as a case analyst for the Crime Victims' Compensation Unit under the Illinois Attorney General's Office in 1989.

Evans became a District Tactical patrol officer in 1995 and was part of the Rapid Response Task Force assigned to high crime areas of Cook County. Evans was also assigned to “Operation Restore Faith,” patrolling the crime-ridden town of Ford Heights, Illinois. This project was a joint state and county effort, policing one of the nation's poorest communities.

Evans became Gang Crimes Sergeant in 1997, focusing on high crimes areas in Cook County including Ford Heights, Cicero, Melrose Park and Maywood. He also served as a Sergeant in the Cook County South Suburban HIDTA Initiative (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) where he supervised the Street Enforcement Team. He commanded the Special Operations Group from 2003-2005, including the Organized Crime/Intelligence Section, the Vice and Gambling Section and the Hostage Barricade Terrorist Team. Evans was assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Special Functions, overseeing the Emergency Services Bureau until December 2010.

Evans career with the Cook County Sheriff's Police Department has included assignments with the Patrol Division, the Field Training Officer Program (FTO), Gang Crimes, Special Operations Section, SWAT and the Safe Schools Program. He is an active member of the Illinois Tactical Officer's Association and a former Executive Board member with the South Suburban Association of Chiefs of Police. Lieutenant Evans also served as the co-chairman of the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Training and Exercise Committee. His area of expertise includes high risk warrant service preparation, dynamic and stealth room entries, tactical building searches, law enforcement leadership, safe schools and command and control issues.

Career achievements

Since joining the Cook County Sheriff Police Department's Hostage Barricade Terrorist Team in 1996, Evans has participated in more than 750 SWAT assignments and evaluated training programs for several multi-regional SWAT teams throughout Illinois. Evans and his Cook County Sheriff Police Department's Hostage Barricade Terrorist Team were recognized by the Illinois State Crime Commission in June 2004 for “Excellence in Law Enforcement” and awarded a Unit Citation in 2006 by the Illinois Tactical Officer's Association for resolving an intense hostage situation in Cicero, Illinois.

Evans lectured at the 2005 World SWAT Challenge Symposium, providing instruction to hundreds of SWAT supervisors from international departments. In 2006, he was invited to speak about safety and security issues at the 1st Annual Homeland Security Conference in Lisbon, Portugal and returned there as a private consultant in 2008 to train and evaluate members of the Portuguese Maritime Police who patrol the country's harbors.

Candidacy for Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois

Evans declared his candidacy for Sheriff of Cook County in May 2012. He was endorsed during a fundraiser in February 2013, by American hero First Sergeant Matt Eversmann, a recipient of a Bronze Star Medal and whose legendary leadership was portrayed in the epic film, Black Hawk Down. Eversmann pointed out Bill Evans' leadership, integrity and law enforcement professionalism. Evans has also been endorsed by Chicago boxer and former Olympian David “Dangerous” Diaz, International Tactical Officers Training Association president Kevin Barrett, and John Connor of Advanced SWAT, a law enforcement training group.

Evans appeared as a guest on WGN Radio in February 2013, to talk about his candidacy and later in April on Chicago's Intellectual Radio to discuss issues affecting the state of Cook County law enforcement.

Electoral history

Evans finished second of four candidates in the Democratic primary election of March 18, 2014, with 13.05% of the vote, losing to incumbent sheriff Tom Dart with 72.12%. Dart was unopposed in the general election of November 4, 2014.

Formative years

Evans was born in Oak Lawn, Illinois in 1966 and grew up in the Beverly community of Chicago's Southwest side. He currently resides in Chicago's South Loop.

Education and training

Evans graduated in 1985 from St. Rita of Cascia High School in Chicago, where he played baseball and varsity football. He received an athletic scholarship to attend Saint Joseph's College and played defensive back and fullback football while there. In 1988, he served as a student assistant coach at Saint Joseph's College.

Evans holds an M.S. in Criminal Justice from Chicago State University and a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Saint Joseph's College in Indiana. He is a 2005 graduate of Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command and is currently working on an M.S. in Organizational Leadership from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.

Boxing career

Evans was a professional boxer from 1992-1996. He was ranked #2 among Illinois middleweights in 1995 and posted an undefeated record as a professional. In 1986, he qualified as a finalist in the Chicago Golden Gloves and Chicago Park District City-Wide Boxing Championships in 1986. He registered a 29-7 amateur record before turning to the pro ranks. In 1987, Evans was selected to attend the United States Olympic Training Center National All-Comers training camp in both Colorado Springs, Colorado and Marquette, Michigan. He has served as the head boxing coach of the Cook County Sheriff's Athletic League from 2009 to 2010. Evans also serves as a licensed volunteer boxing coach working primarily with children and young adults at McGarry's Boxing Gym in Chicago's Beverly Hills neighborhood. He is also a professional consultant to former WBC Light Heavyweight World Champion Montell “Ice” Griffin.

Published works

Evans has published several articles on global safety and security.

• "Early Morning Search Warrant Service" by Bill Evans SWAT Digest Magazine, January 2009
• "Leadership vs. Management" by Bill Evans SWAT Digest Magazine, March 2009
• "Succession Planning: An Unaddressed Need" by Bill Evans SWAT Digest Magazine, April 2008
• "Team Profile: Cook County Sheriff's Police Hostage Barricade Training" by Bill Evans International Tactical Officers Association, Winter, 2003