City Council
Regular MeetingDeKalb, IL · April 8, 2019
Minutes
MINUTES
CITY OF DEKALB
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING
APRIL 8, 2019
The City Council of DeKalb, Illinois held a Committee of the Whole meeting on April 8,
2019, in the City Council Chambers of the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 South Fourth
Street, DeKalb, Illinois.
A. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Mayor Smith called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
City Clerk Lynn Fazekas called the roll, and the following members of the City Council
were present: Alderman Bill Finucane, Alderman Joyce Stupegia, Alderman Pat Fagan,
Alderman Kate Noreiko, Alderman Tony Faivre, and Mayor Jerry Smith. Alderman Mike
Verbic was absent. Alderman David Jacobson arrived at 5:14 p.m.
Also present were: City Manager Bill Nicklas, Police Chief Gene Lowery, Police
Commander Jason Leverton, and Fire Chief Jeff McMaster.
B. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
MOTION
Alderman Noreiko moved to approve the Agenda. Alderman Fagan seconded.
VOTE
Motion carried by a 6-0-2 roll call vote. Aye: Stupegia, Fagan, Noreiko, Faivre, Finucane,
Smith. Nay: none. Absent: Jacobson, Verbic.
C. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
There was none.
D. CONSIDERATIONS
1. Proclamation: National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 14-20,
2019.
Mayor Smith read the proclamation and presented it to Police Chief Lowery.
2. Recognition of City of DeKalb Telecommunicators.
Police Chief Lowery introduced the latest hires – Brittany Mellinger and Hayden
Perkins. Police Chief Lowery then awarded commendations to
Telecommunicators as follows:
Professionalism under Pressure: Geoffrey Wells.
Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes
April 8, 2019
Page 2 of 2
Act of Kindness: Kaitlin Armstrong, Adrienne Oziah.
Burglary Response: Sean Woyna, Alyssa Jennings, Garrett Williams.
Fire Response: Jennifer Barnett, Kaitlin Armstrong, Hillary Engler, Keller Kurth.
Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapons Response: Hillary Engler, Kelli Wilkins,
Keller Kurth, Brittany Hedin.
Shots Fired Response: Heidi Clark, Jessica Green, Elizabeth Basham, Garrett
Williams.
Lifesaving Awards: Hillary Engler, Heidi Clark.
Statewide Supervisor of the Year: Telecommunications Coordinator Latoya
Marz.
3. DeKalb Police Department 2018 Annual Report.
Police Chief Lowery presented the report via a slideshow. Topics covered
included service demands, proactive policing strategies, ongoing challenges,
and department initiatives.
E. EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO 5 ILCS (120/2)
No Executive Session was held during this meeting.
F. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION
Alderman Noreiko moved to adjourn at 5:39 p.m. Alderman Jacobson seconded.
VOTE
Motion carried on majority voice vote. Mayor Smith declared adjournment at 5:39 p.m.
________________________________
LYNN A. FAZEKAS, City Clerk
Approved by City Council: April 22, 2019.
Agenda
DEKALB CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
April 8, 2019
DeKalb Municipal Building
City Council Chambers
Second Floor
200 S. Fourth Street
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
5:00 P.M.
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:
Committee of the Whole Agenda
April 8, 2019
Page 2 of 5
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
% Change
Type of Crime 2016 2017 2018
(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%
Committee of the Whole Agenda
April 8, 2019
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Part 2 Crimes
% Change
Type of Crime 2016 2017 2018
(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%
Total 6,847 6,980 6,370 -9%
*Includes unlawful restraint, unlawful visitation interference, kidnapping, child abduction and
harboring a runaway.
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
Committee of the Whole Agenda
April 8, 2019
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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
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April 8, 2019
Page 5 of 5
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
FULL AGENDA PACKET