Sycamore Police Chief Jim Winters told members of Rotary that providing professional law enforcement and public services is the top priority for his department. Winters became chief in 2017 following a 27-year with the Illinois State Police. He oversees a department authorized for 31 sworn officers, although there are a couple of vacancies to fill. The department has an Operations Division (mainly patrol functions) and a division for Investigations and Support Services. Patrols are carried out in 12-hour shifts to provide 24-hour, seven-day-a-week coverage. Sworn personnel includes two school resource officers. The police department’s members go through about 4,000 hours of training each year. Chief Winters noted the department supports over 40 special events a year, ranging from the complexity of Pumpkin Fest to the much less challenging neighborhood block party.
Chief Winters says proactive outreach is an important component of local police work. He noted it is easier to establish a comfort level for interaction between police and the general public “when the adrenalin is low” versus a crisis situation “when everyone’s adrenalin is high”. Therefore, the officers regularly participate in community events to build the public’s confidence that they will be treated fairly and with respect by the police. This includes significant support for the Special Olympics organization.
Crime was at a 30 year low in Sycamore last year according to the Chief. Standard data measurements indicate similar trends for this year. The Chief recognized community support, interagency relations in DeKalb County, council and mayor support, and public/private partnerships (such as a “lock it or lose it” car antitheft campaign with Rotary President Pat Shafer’s insurance agency) as department strengths. He said areas of opportunity are continued community trust building, recruitment (fewer people choose law enforcement for a career), officer wellness, and adapting to new laws (such as the upcoming legalization of cannabis).