Director of Public Safety Chief Jim Lyon made a special appearance in Dr. Shelley Bannister’s justice studies class recently to discuss and assure students of campus safety.
He prefaced his March 26 presentation by letting the class know that NEIU is ready if violence were to occur on campus.
Lyon began by informing the class of the Public Safety Office’s mission: “To maintain a safe and secure environment where the university’s educational mission can be successful.” He said the officers take pride in keeping the university safe, and they are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
NEIU has a very safe campus, according to Lyon. Although he didn’t share crime statistics with the class, he did inform students that they were very low. He referenced the Noel-Levitz Study, a 2005 survey that recorded various students’ impressions of safety on campus. According to the study, most students felt very safe on campus.
He said that NEIU Public Safety is a full service law enforcement agency with certified police officers. The officers are required to attend the police academy for four months and then attend 11 weeks of field training. They also routinely train while employed as Public Safety officers.
According to Lyon, the Public Safety Office holds a high standard of professionalism. They are affiliated with the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The office is also affiliated with the Northeast Multi-Regional Training Center, which trains all police officers in the northern Illinois region.
Public Safety’s own Lieutenant Paul Kruszynski is one of the trainers of the Incident Command School, a program that brings in people from across the country to train officers, which the Public Safety officers are recommended to attend.
The school trains officers on rapid deployment to handle an active shooter, crisis intervention, identification of suicidal signs individuals may exhibit, and a Firearms Training Simulator (FATS), which is a computerized system that simulates situations that call for quick decisions of whether or not to shoot.
After his presentation, Lyon conducted a short question and answer session with the class. SGA President Keenan Arnold asked whether live drills were part of training. Lyon answered that live drills were part of the unfinished “Training and Testing” chapter of NEIU’s Emergency Management Plan. Once they get the plan working, they will add live drills.
Arnold then asked a question about whether the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team would respond if there were an active shooter on campus. Lyon said that in reaction to the NIU tragedy, the Illinois Board of Higher Education asked all the safety offices of Illinois public universities to submit a request and inform them of what they are lacking.
This is separate from the university’s budget for 2009, but the governor still has to approve the separate request, along with the university’s regular budget. Public Safety informed the board of their need for materials and, if they receive money, a SWAT team could be a possibility.
Bannister asked about what teachers and students should do if an active shooter was on campus. Chief Lyon said the protocol to follow is, “Out! If you are able to get out of the classroom or building, do it! If you can’t, stay where you are.”
Bannister also brought up the problem with the lack of cell phone coverage in classrooms. Lyon said he is looking into putting a phone in every classroom so cell phone service isn’t an issue. He recommended that we try to use our cell phones in an emergency, but if that doesn’t work, he said, “Better hope someone calls!”
Kruszynski recently told the SGA that it is better to call the Public Safety Office first in an immediate emergency because they are on campus. Chief Lyon said to dial 911, as Public Safety has discussed this and now agrees that 911 is the best choice for the first call.
Lyon ended on a sincere note, telling the class that “working together, we can ensure NEIU is a safe learning environment.”