Mission
The mission of the Northeastern Illinois University Police Department is to promote and maintain a safe and secure atmosphere in which the University's educational mission can be successful. This Department shall contribute to the educational process through student, staff and faculty engagement in educational measures as well as strong community partnerships built on a shared commitment to crime prevention.
Vision
We, the members of the Northeastern Illinois University Police Department, strive to be the leader among university police departments in Illinois and a leader among campus law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Values
The Northeastern Illinois University Police Department strives to adhere to the highest standards of service that reflects the diverse community we serve. We are devoted to quality public service that is unyielding in purpose, engages the community and reflects a genuine desire to care for the safety and well-being of the public. We esteem the following values as a foundation that will emphasize our character and serve as a guide in the performance of our duties.
Integrity
Recognizing that integrity is the foundation of our profession, we endeavor to preserve and protect the public trust placed in us by adhering to the highest standards of honesty, moral and ethical practice. We will be beyond reproach in all that we do.
Excellence
We are committed to, and pride ourselves in, our personal and organizational excellence. We are committed to achieving a level of performance that exceeds all expectations so that we may maintain the community's confidence and satisfaction with our services.
Professionalism
Professionalism is the primary component that guides us in the performance of our duties and manifests itself in our public service. We will serve as role models for the community by projecting a positive image with a spirit of cooperation and teamwork.
Dedication
We are committed to providing the highest quality of law enforcement service to the community with the goal of ensuring that the University's educational mission can be successful by preserving peace, preventing and detecting crime, enforcing the law and protecting the rights of all citizens.
Accountability
We are accountable for each other, to the people we serve, and we understand the importance of community values and expectations. We accept responsibility for our actions within the community and strive to achieve a reputation that surpasses the expectations of the community.
Professional Development
We will continually develop our problem solving skills, support innovative initiatives and provide professional training to our officers to ensure that the services delivered to the university community are of superior quality.
Police Authority
State Police Powers
University Police Officers have full law enforcement authority including the power to make arrests on view or on warrants of state statutes, university rules and regulations and city or county ordinances on all property owned or controlled by the University. Additionally, officers have authority anywhere in Illinois where university property, students and personnel are located, and otherwise when requested by other state or local law enforcement officials. The law enforcement officers of the University Police Department receive their police authority via the provisions of the state law specifically, 110 ILCS 680/25-45(11):
To appoint, subject to the applicable civil service law, persons to be members of the Northeastern Illinois University Police Department. Members of the Police Department shall be conservators of the peace and as such have all powers possessed by policemen in cities, and sheriffs, including the power to make arrests on view or warrants of violations of State statutes, University rules and regulations and city or county ordinances, except that they may exercise such powers only within counties wherein Northeastern Illinois University and any of its branches or properties are located when such is required for the protection of University properties and interests, and it's students and personnel, and otherwise, within such counties, when requested by appropriate State or local law enforcement officials. However, such officers shall have no power to serve and execute civil processes.
Training
Officers of the University Police are academy-trained and certified in the same manner as all other public law enforcement officers in the state of Illinois. They receive a minimum of 12 weeks formal basic training plus additional classroom and in-service training each year. Other training includes rapid response to active violent events as well as daily web-based training regarding high liability, low frequency events.
Relationships
University Police maintains a close working relationship with the Chicago Police Department, Illinois State Police, and other local and federal law enforcement agencies. The Department also maintains a close working relationship and an agreement with the State’s Attorney's office and the Clerk of the Court regarding the investigations of certain crimes. Crime related reports and statistics are routinely exchanged.
