How McHenry County College police are connecting with students
Other than saying hello in the hallways every now and then, MCC student trustee Zuri Vazquez hadn't talked much to campus police officers. So, when the campus police hosted the college's first Chat with a Cop session recently, she and a couple of her fellow classmates stopped by to hear what the officers had to say.
"At our last Student Government meeting, a lot of students asked what the protocol is for an emergency situation, such as an active shooter," Vazquez said. "A lot of students are curious about it in light of the recent tragedy in Parkland, Florida, and at other schools."
Vazquez said she was pleased with the Chat with a Cop session and came away with relevant information.
"Our campus police officers had a lot of good answers to my questions that I will bring back to student government," she said.
Officers James Yester and Danielle Stevens told students about the emergency safety procedures and about a five-minute video titled "Run, Hide, Fight" that are posted on the Campus Police Web page at mchenry.edu/safety.
The Chat with a Cop session is the newest outreach effort by the MCC Campus Police to connect with students and increase safety awareness. While McHenry County College is a safe place to learn and to work, the MCC Campus Police Department is boosting awareness of their resources.
"We want to create more awareness about the resources and services that we offer so our campus community feels safe, while raising their security awareness," said Mike Clesceri, associate vice president of public safety and chief of police. "The first Chat with a Cop received a great response," Clesceri said. "We hope to grow that program and feature a different topic each time.
In addition to the chat sessions, the MCC Campus Police offers motorist assistance, such as jump starts for dead batteries, escorts to the parking lot or other locations on campus, assistance in reporting a crime, sexual assault and crisis intervention awareness, traffic safety awareness, and reporting through TIPNOW, an anonymous texting site.
"All of our officers have gone through or will attend crisis intervention training, which makes them better aware when responding or contacting someone that might be in a mental health crisis," Clesceri said, adding that the campus police can get people in crisis the proper resources they need in a timely fashion.
The MCC campus police offers 24/7 coverage and officers are available to talk to any student or employee group, upon request.
"We are here as a resource for our students," Clesceri said. "We want them to be better prepared and know what to do before an emergency or major crisis occurs. Preparedness can minimize confusion and save lives," he said.