Community Activist Criticizes Parole Sweep In Evanston

EVANSTON, Ill. (CBS) -- A community activist is criticizing the methods used by Evanston police during a parole sweep that resulted in the arrests of several people.

Cherylette Hilton, a longtime community advocate for Evanston residents on parole, was summoned to the Evanston Police Station, 1454 Elmwood Ave., to help one of her clients. The man, who is in his 30s, was arrested at his home in connection with a traffic violation, which he planned to challenge.

"He said, 'I don't have a traffic violation. I haven't driven for a year'," Hilton said.

According to one report, a large crowd was seen early Thursday morning, gathered outside the police station.

Police declined to comment on the operation, which is conducted periodically, until more details are gathered.

Hilton said a woman client called her about a large number of police officers assembled outside her home at 7 a.m. Thursday.

"She said, 'Look, I've got 18 officers gathered outside my house with their guns drawn; what should I do?' "

The woman told Hilton that the person police were seeking did not live at that address.

"We're broke, we're poor, but we've got enough in Evanston to send 18 officers to one house, and two officers with a dog, so that's 20 officers," Hilton said.

Pioneer Press contributed to this report, via the Sun-Times Media Wire