Evanston City Manager, Police Chief 'Regret' Arresting 12-Year-Old

EVANSTON, IL — Evanston City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz and Police Chief Robert Eddington signed a letter to the father of a 12-year-old who was arrested in July while riding on the back of a friend's bicycle through downtown Evanston expressing "regret," the Evanston Review reports. The Sept. 11 letter to Robert Bady said the city will review its procedures for handling conduct by juveniles and get rid of all records of his son's involvement in the incident.

"We regret this incident occurred and the emotional strain and inconvenience it has caused for your family... the city will now call upon our Youth and Young Adult Division outreach workers first to defuse situations when possible, rather than dispatch police officers," the letter said, according to the Evanston Review. "It is our goal that their presence will address the juvenile conduct-related issues before that conduct draws the attention of the public, therefore avoiding calls for police service."

Bady's son was taken into custody July 14 after reportedly "obstructing traffic" and "behaving dangerously on a bicycle," according to police reports.

Bady told the Evanston Review he thinks the only reason the situation was dealt with was because he took a public stand. He and his son appeared at an Evanston City Council meeting the following month to discuss the incident and request an apology. Bady he said he felt relief to receive the letter.

"For anybody to acknowledge something is better than nothing," Bady told the Review. "I thought the city manager was trying to be honest."

»Read more from the Evanston Review

See Rob Bady and his son discuss the incident at the Aug. 14 Evanston City Council meeting:

_{Top photo: Rob Bady speaks at an Aug. 14 Evanston City Council meeting | Via City of Evanston}