April 25, 2024
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NIU Police to host state accreditation team June 28

Public invited to give feedback about the department to accreditation team

By Daily Chronicle staff report

File photo - Members of the Northern Illinois University Police arrive first on the scene of the NIU Convocation Center during the emergency response training exercise on Friday, July 10, 2015. More than 200 law enforcement and fire personnel from local and state agencies participated in the drill which simulated an explosive device going off in the NIU Convocation Center with a barricaded suspect.

DeKALB - Representatives from the Illinois Chiefs of Police Association will visit Northern Illinois University campus June 28 to conduct an on-site assessment of the university’s Department of Police and Public Safety.

According to a news release from NIU, the visit is part of an ongoing process aimed at securing recognition under the organization’s Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. During the visit, trained assessors from peer agencies across the state will conduct inspections, file reviews and audits of the NIU police department.

Members of the public will have an opportunity to participate in the process via phone between 11 a.m. and noon June 28, according to the release. Interested individuals can call the police department at 815-753-1212 and ask to speak with the assessment team. Calls will be directed to a member of the team (working in a secure, private area) and callers can discuss their experiences with the department and share their opinions. All feedback will remain anonymous.

The site visit is one of the final steps in the process required for ILEAP accreditation. The information gathered during the visit, along with documentation gathered over the past two years, will be reviewed at an upcoming meeting of the Illinois Chiefs of Police Association ILEAP Assessment Team, which will determine if the department meets the high standards for administration, operations, personnel and training required to attain accreditation.

Currently, of the nearly 900 police agencies in the state, only 44 police departments have attained ILEAP accreditation, including those in the cities of DeKalb and Sycamore. Also accredited are the police departments at Illinois State, Northeastern, Southern and Western Illinois Universities, as well as the University of Illinois.

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