This is the last of a three-part series examining violent crimes on campus and in DeKalb.

With the increase in violent crimes committed in the city of DeKalb causing some residents and students to reconsider their safety, community police say programs to combat the rises are either in place or being considered.

“One way to combat the kinds of violent crimes we have been seeing recently is through the utilization of environmental lighting,” DeKalb police Lt. Jim Kayes said. “We have been trying to encourage an increase in the use of lighting for parking lots and frequently traveled areas. For example, if you were to take and light up the blue-greys [809 Edgebrook Drive], I’m sure that you would see far fewer illegal activities occurring because everyone would be able to see what was going on in that parking lot. I would also like to see more lighting on Greenbrier Road.”

Not everyone agrees on the best way to reduce crime, though.

“You can always put more cops out there, but that may not be helpful,” Kayes said. “If we were to put a ton of cops on Greek Row, where crime is relatively high, we would just receive too many complaints of oppression and harassment, so we must look for other answers.”

Both University and DeKalb police are attempting to adjust their tactics to a more community-oriented type of policing.

“Community-oriented policing consists of involving different members and organizations in the community more directly through education on how to respond to crime and to recognize what it is,” University Police Cpl. Robert Cannon said.

NIU sociology professor Jim Thomas believes crime risks and population groups change.

“Although crime has been decreasing on a national level, I think we are almost at the bottom of the decrease in crime because of the changes in the number of people in the at-risk age group,” he said. “I am anticipating a national increase in violent crime in the near future.”

DeKalb police believe they are taking steps to prepare for and reduce the likelihood of this increase locally.

“Our chiefs have always encouraged community-oriented policing, and we believe that interacting with people on a personal level is the key to avoiding problems,” Kayes said. “Rather than putting up a perimeter around a large group of people at an event and creating a foreboding police presence, in the future, we hope to talk to the crowds and find out from them how we can strike a balance between public safety and the public’s right to have a good time.”

As part of their plan, DeKalb police officers intend to introduce a bicycle patrol this summer.

“One nice thing about the bike patrol is that it gives us back the close contact with the community that was lost when the use of patrol cars became standard,” said Cannon, a part of the current bicycle program used by University Police. “The bicycles reinstate that close contact.”

Kayes said these programs are more likely to appear in the future as opposed to adding more officers to the staff.

“We are trying to change our tactics rather than increase the type of policing that we have used in the past,” he said. “We’re not looking at any manpower increases anytime soon.”

Some students have their own ideas on how safety could be improved.

“I think certain landlords need to take a more active role in protecting the safety of their tenants through increased security in their buildings,” junior biology major Jill Bottorff said. “Some apartment complexes are really good about maintaining security, but others, like my building, aren’t. It would also be helpful if there were a Huskie Bus route that stopped on Normal Road.”

Victoria Kuchan, a senior corporate communication major, said the university’s late-night safety service should step up its presence.

“I’ve never actually seen the Huskie Patrol anywhere,” she said. “I think it would be helpful if that program were expanded.”

Increasing the amount of emergency services on campus is an option, as well.

“There aren’t enough emergency call boxes on campus, especially in the parking lots,” said Jenny Naleck, a junior special education major.

Sociology professor Fred Markowitz believes that one of the best ways to deal with crime is through prevention, particularly by being in control of yourself.

“Alcohol is a common factor in crimes committed on college campuses, and one of the best ways to prevent becoming an offender or a victim is through reducing your alcohol intake,” Markowitz said. “It is widely understood that alcohol lowers inhibitions, and although that is one of its major draws, lowering your inhibitions can be dangerous. You may do things you wouldn’t do if you were sober or allow yourself to be placed in a situation that you normally wouldn’t have gotten into.”

In the end, though, safety can’t wait for new programs or solutions, Bottorff said.

“Until some changes are made, the only solution that I see to protect myself from becoming a victim is for me not to walk alone at night,” she said.