Together, Forward, Together

Together, We can strengthen the image

    Have you ever wondered why it was necessary to have two separate police departments instead of one? Where is the division in work between them? Also, where do they work together and how thick is the dividing line? A few questions that have come up with the recent activity of the police force here on campus.  The level of importance of a firm police force in a town like DeKalb is imperative. Being that our town is mainly Northern Illinois students, knowing that there are people who are firmly watching over us and there to back us up, needs to be a fact. For a majority of the students that, however, is not the case.

 

   With the latest disappearance of the beloved student ‘Toni’ Keller, it has felt like the credibility of the protection seems to be very low. Toni was reported missing to the NIU police on Friday October 15th, at around 1pm, still however not released to the students. There is sincere doubt that the case is being handled improperly, and insecurity that we are safe living here. Toni was a perfectly normal student whom did no wrong to deserve what happened. She was merely walking in a public park, not more than a block or two from NIU’s campus. Where was her protection? In the police briefing on Friday it was stated that security would be beefed up and services would be available on the school site and this is supposed to ease the tension of insecurity. There are still many people whom have sincere uncertainty for their safety and the safety of their loved ones. How is it that a girl goes for a walk and does not come home? How can two departments of ‘safety’ not ensure her safety?

    Being a resident in DeKalb, it is no secret that crime has raised dramatically in the last few years.  Illinois ranks second from the top of the charts in gun violence (Machiavelli), and if you sleep in DeKalb, you know this to be true. The constant hearing of gunshots and reading of gun crimes (when it actually makes the paper) is terrible. It seems that the patrol and advocacy of the DeKalb police is lacking in contrast to the patrol of the NIU police departments. This town is supposed to feel safe to live in, but it seems that the dividing line of the departments has gotten in the way of protecting and serving.

    Working together as one unit and even under one budget can only benefit both parties while also serving to the community as an even stronger force. The Evanston police department and the northwestern police departments have been doing this for years now and both sides exclaim it to be sincerely beneficial.  Both departments serve under the same premises’ and drive to protect the same public. Working together they can support each other and create a safe environment here in DeKalb.  The working relationship that has been shown to work, as evidenced in Evanston, is something the departments should really take a hard look at so that the crime in DeKalb, as well as the security, can be restored. Evanston Police Deputy Chief Tom Cabanski says "Because they help us patrol the downtown area and the areas where they have off-campus housing, we can concentrate on other efforts, and vice-versa, we help them with traffic problems and other criminal matters," he says. "By working together, we make the community better for everyone." (Katherine Duke)

http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2009/11/police.html

    Although it seems as if the two working together would make nothing but sense, “convincing both the NIU campus and local residents would be a challenge” says Sergeant Smith of the NIU police. The two forces are different in ways that we are blind to see until we need them.  The NIU police have EMT training with five fully trained EMT’s on the force, something DeKalb police lack, due to what is needed in their line of duty. The two forces also differ in ways that they deal with the students. NIU is geared towards educating the students on better practices while DPD is geared toward writing tickets and punishment. “If the two were to work under one budget, there would still be a division of the force into one part dealing with the campus and another working with the town, which could create severe animosity in the department, which would be a problem”(Smith). With the different policies on daily interactions and educating rather than punish, in combination with getting the public to agree to this change and the animosity created, the idea seems farfetched.

   

 Although those all seem like valid points, I feel with a little bit of working together and the formation of a campus team whom wanted to work with the students rather than criminals, the switch can be made quite simply. The people of DeKalb would be happy to hear that this plan would save a ton of money and that the crime rate would go down just as dramatically. With the cooperation shown by the forty members of the case squad, whom were shipped in here to work on the latest Keller case, it shows just how swiftly and cooperative operations should and could be here in DeKalb. Who wants to see a tragedy like this ever happen again? With the firm hand of the law becoming more solidified we can send criminals back to where they belong.

    Since moving to DeKalb, well over a year ago, I have seen an increase in crime and that was only a year. We can bring that feeling of safety back by bringing the two departments toward each other rather than apart. The dorms are not the only part of this community where students live, and that is where majority of the “off-site” issues are being created. With the merging of the two departments, a strong, affirmative task force can be created and take this town back.