With the recent robbery near NCC, community members became concerned about school safety. The recent shooting in Georgia has also raised some questions about NCC’s preparedness for emergency events. Understanding the protocols and practices used by Campus Safety can clear some uncertainty regarding these types of situations and overall safety at NCC.
Fredenhagen Park incident
Students and staff received a message on Sept. 3 about an incident that occurred in Fredenhagen Park on Sept. 1.
“On Sunday September 1, around 10:55 p.m., the Naperville Police Department responded to the report of a robbery, adjacent to campus in Fredenhagen Park,” the email said. “The Naperville Police Department had a presence on campus and arrested 5 juveniles involved nearby. At this time, no campus community members are believed to be involved in the incident.”
Although the incident occurred off-campus, there are certain regulations that require Campus Safety to inform the community about it. Ashley Klco, the director of Campus Safety and Risk Management, was available for comments about the situation.
“There is what’s called a Clery Act requirement where if there’s things happening adjacent to campus, we have an obligation to notify our students of that,” said Klco. “The robbery that happened at Fredenhagen Park, because it is so close to our campus, we have an obligation to notify our campus of those situations.”
Naperville Police Department connections
Campus Safety concentrates on NCC matters, but there are times when they will step in if something is off campus.
“Campus Safety is responsible for on-campus incidents only,” Klco said. “If something happened off-campus and the police department asks us to go, we will respond at their request.”
Additionally, they are fulfilling their objective to keep a secure environment by having strong connections with the Naperville Police Department.
“It’s a really positive working relationship,” Klco said. “They’ll come in and help us with some trainings on an annual basis. This is to make sure that they know our policies and how they’ll respond to situations so that we can work collaboratively when something happens.”
The incident at Fredenhagen Park may have put community members on high alert, but many do not feel like they are in danger.
International student Shurui Huo, ‘28, did not change her view on NCC’s security level even after the nearby robbery.
“I’m from China, and it’s a very safe country, but I also feel safe here,” Huo, ‘28, said. “I think North Central College and Naperville are safer than other places.”
Emergency events
The latest tragedy happened at Apalachee High School where a 14-year-old gunman killed 4 people. With similar events occurring nationwide, institutions like NCC are preparing for anything and everything.
“We have an Emergency Operations Plan that speaks to different types of emergencies, including an active shooter,” Klco said. “We work that plan with the police department, fire department and the Naperville Emergency Management Agency.”
Moreover, Campus Safety will contact these resources and others located within DuPage County for specific circumstances.
“We tabletop different situations so that we know our partners before something happens. We don’t want to be ‘exchanging business cards’ during an emergency,” Klco said. “ We know who our partners are and who we can rely on.”
Safety advice
Sharing safety advice can help students and their peers to have a positive college experience.
According to RAINN, “If you feel unsafe or uncomfortable in any situation—even if you aren’t sure why—trust your instincts and leave.”
Klco agreed with this advice and wants to remind students of the resources available on the campus.
“You can always call Campus Safety 24/7 at 630-637-5911,” Klco said. “We have officers available around the clock, and your call goes directly to the officers who are on duty.”
Students are encouraged to contact Campus Safety to report incidents, or to use their services when needed. If students are seeking more information about safety tips and additional resources, look to their website.
