DeKALB | Stationed exclusively to serve and protect the NIU campus, the University Police goes through the same amount of training as any other police force.

Well-prepared

“Every officer goes through 400 hours of academy training and a 12-week field training officer program,” said Lt. Matthew Kiederlen, the acting chief of the UP. “All of our officers are trained in emergency medical treatment. Others specialize from crime scene investigation to special victims to bike patrol, among other things.”

Lt. Curtis Young said the UP can handle whatever problems arise.

“Every officer has the skill set to respond to any situation,” Young said. “Responsibilities are not deferred, because our officers possess the skills to do the job from beginning to end. They can do anything.”

The UP are constantly training in a variety of fields. Officials train every two years and many officers train for several months over the summer, which is not common among other departments, Young said.

Meeting the officers

The department is comprised of 46 sworn officers, nine security guards, five parking agents, eight full-time dispatchers and three civilian employees, Kiederlen said.

Several departments make up the UP, all focusing on different elements of policing.

“We specialize in patrol, emergency management planning, coordination analysis programming, North Central Narcotics Task Force, quartermaster, security, records, parking and detective work,” Kiederlen said. The quartermaster is the officer who is responsible for the department’s equipment.

In NIU’s department, the order of rank begins at officer, ascending to sergeant, lieutenant, then chief of police. The current police chief, Donald Grady, is serving in Iraq. Kiederlen, Young and Lt. Darren Mitchell will rotate as interim police chief periodically until Grady returns next year.

A different approach

“Preventative policing” is what Young calls one of the department’s elements that sets the UP apart from other police forces.

“We have a different approach to crime prevention,” Young said. “We analyze what is occurring. A doctor does the same thing with a patient; finding out what the symptom is and why it is occurring. It allows us to address criminal activity more effectively.”

Perhaps the biggest difference between policing a university versus a regular city is the people police are dealing with.

“Cities tend to be more reactive than a university campus, whereas we’re more proactive,” Kiederlen said. “A big difference is that the population rotates, so that we don’t end up with the same type of regulars, so to speak. We also don’t have to deal with juveniles.”

In the end, the UP understands the key to their success lies within the people they are protecting.

“What sets us apart from other departments is that we do everything we can to build a relationship with our community,” Young said. “If we can build trust with them, then we can truly make this a functional, pleasant and educational place.”

Justin Weaver is the University Police beat reporter for the Northern Star.