City of Dekalb City Council met Monday, April 8.
Here is the agenda provided by the council:
A. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
B. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
C. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
D. CONSIDERATIONS
1. Proclamation: National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 14- 20, 2019.
City Manager’s Summary: The week of April 14 - 20 has been designated as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and recognized nationally by proclamation of the United States Congress.
2. Recognition of City of DeKalb Telecommunicators.
City Manager’s Summary: Chief Lowery will introduce our newest telecommunicator hires, Brittany Mellinger and Heyden Perkins. He will also briefly review a number of commendations issued to our telecommunicators during 2018 for their abilities to work closely with the public, our officers, and other agencies in gathering vital information, and helping to coordinate responses to urgent situations.
3. DeKalb Police Department 2018 Annual Report.
City Manager’s Summary: Police Chief Gene Lowry and many hands in the Police Department have prepared a thorough and analytical report on the department’s service to the DeKalb community in Fiscal Year 2018. A brief summary of that report follows:
Community Policing: In 2018 the following programs were implemented: The Safe Streets Initiative, COMPASS, Domestic Violence Lethality Assessment Program, and Project HOPE. The Safe Streets Initiative is designed to make neighborhoods safer by limiting on-street parking. COMPASS or Changing Outcomes by Making Parents Accountable, Successful, and Supported, opened a new door for early intervention for juvenile offenders. The Domestic Violence Lethality Assessment Program interdicts the cycle of relationship- based violence through early victim support. Project HOPE or Heroin/Opioid Outreach Prevention and Education was launched on a trial basis to get addicts to treatment as soon as possible. In 2019 our overdose cases decreased by 42%.
Crime Reductions: As a result of proactive policing strategies and our strong partnership with our community, there was a decrease in our most serious crimes as reported in the Uniform Crime Reports. Combining 2017 and 2018 we saw a cumulative decrease in crime over two years that totaled 22% in our most serious offense categories. This was a tremendous accomplishment and the first quarter of 2019 is producing similar results. The tables below highlight these advances:
Part I Crimes
| Type of Crime | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | % Change (2017 to 2018) |
| Homicide | 3 | 1 | 0 | -100% |
| Criminal Sexual Assault | 53 | 40 | 45 | 13% |
| Robbery | 34 | 30 | 31 | 3% |
| Aggravated Battery/Assault | 133 | 118 | 152 | 29% |
| Burglary | 203 | 156 | 125 | -20% |
| Theft | 1,204 | 1,130 | 939 | -17% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 32 | 37 | 41 | 11% |
| Arson | 8 | 7 | 6 | -14% |
| Human Trafficking | 0 | 0 | 1 | +100% |
| Total | 1,670 | 1,519 | 1,340 | -12% |
| Type of Crime | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | % Change (2017 to 2018) |
| Battery | 574 | 624 | 656 | 5% |
| Deception | 493 | 512 | 428 | -16% |
| Criminal Damage & Trespass | 729 | 794 | 721 | -9% |
| Deadly Weapons | 79 | 89 | 72 | -19% |
| Sex Offenses | 61 | 64 | 49 | -23% |
| Offenses Involving Children | 109 | 100 | 81 | -19% |
| Cannabis Control Act | 366 | 382 | 424 | 11% |
| Methamphetamine Offenses | 4 | 13 | 9 | -31% |
| Hypodermic Syringes & Needles Act | 9 | 13 | 17 | 31% |
| Drug Paraphernalia | 198 | 193 | 224 | 16% |
| Controlled Substance Act | 159 | 185 | 193 | 4% |
| Liquor Control Violations | 141 | 91 | 55 | -40% |
| Major Motor Vehicle Offenses | 2,199 | 1,967 | 1,453 | -26% |
| Disorderly Conduct | 811 | 963 | 1,020 | 6% |
| Interference w/ Police Officer | 178 | 171 | 194 | 13% |
| Intimidation | 17 | 12 | 4 | -67% |
| Kidnapping/Abduction* | 59 | 39 | 50 | 28% |
| Violation of Sex Offender Registry Laws | 17 | 17 | 3 | -82% |
| Other Criminal Offenses | 643 | 75 | 717 | -5% |
| T otal | 6,847 | 6,980 | 6,370 | -9% |
Police and Mental Health Collaboration Grant: In late 2017, the Police Department received a $75,000 Research & Planning Grant from the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, to initiate a Police-Mental Health Collaboration project. The purpose of the grant was to identify and form a partnership among law enforcement, social and public service agencies, and mental health providers in the community to identify service shortcomings to those suffering from a mental illness. The goal was to partner with a research firm to develop a Comprehensive Strategic Plan to identify the extent of the problem; to enumerate the strengths and weaknesses of existing mental health training and services along with the opportunities for improved coordination, practices, and protocols; and to devise a plan for continued collaboration among service providers. Grant recipients also applied for additional implementation funds, and although DeKalb was not selected for this opportunity the project resulted in many positive outcomes. Tangible resources are also being developed as a result of this grant initiative such as Crisis Intervention Team training for police officers, a shared case management software system, and promising local grants to provide for additional research, training, and – potentially – an embedded social worker within the Police Department.
Policy Revision Project and State Accreditation: By the close of 2018, all of the department’s 115 administrative and operational policies had been reviewed and revised to reflect current operations, case law, and best practices. With the policies all conforming to the extensive professional standards published and promoted by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the department is proceeding with an official state accreditation through the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ILEAP). Accreditation consists of an independent professional review of the department’s policies and requires documented proof that each standard is affirmed in both policy and practice. Assessors will be on site in 2019 to review the policies, inspect the facilities, interview officers, and engage the public to ensure compliance with the 180 established standards. This represents a major accomplishment in terms of an updated comprehensive policy manual and recognition as a leader in professional law enforcement.
911 Consolidation: The state is requiring a number of 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) to consolidate, and DeKalb County’s 911 consolidation date has been set for June 1, 2019. The primary reason for the mandatory 911 PSAP consolidation is to lower the overall statewide cost of Next Generation 911, which is a pending technology project that will update existing 911 systems. After June 1, 2019, the Northern Illinois University Police will no longer be answering 911 calls that originate on campus. Those calls will be received at the DeKalb Police Department Communications Center. In 2018, progress was made with the telephone companies and other vendors to make this required transition, and meetings have been regularly held with NIU to make this transition as smooth as possible.
Next Generation 911 Project: DeKalb County has been a leader in the Next Generation 911 Project, a pending technology project that will update the county’s existing E-911 system which has been in place since 1993. DeKalb County is part of an 11-county regional consortium called the Northern Illinois Next Generation Alliance (NINGA), which will bring Next Generation 911 to the entire county well ahead of a proposed statewide system. Significant progress was made on this project in 2018, with installation expected in 2019.
County Radio Project: The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office embarked on a $4 million state-of-the-art countywide digital radio system in 2018, which will replace their existing analog VHF network in 2019.The DeKalb Police Department intends to join the countywide network upon its completion, which will save over $100,000 annually in fees that have been required of the state’s current digital Starcom network. As part of this project, the Police Department was able to secure the purchase of portable radios in 2018 for the new system at a drastically reduced cost and will realize other infrastructure savings as well when the project is complete.
Chief Lowery will touch on these highlights during his presentation. Copies of the Department’s 2018 Report have been uploaded to the City’s website and linked to this Agenda.
E. EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO 5 ILCS (120/2) F. ADJOURNMENT
https://www.cityofdekalb.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04082019-1604
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