Sycamore Police Chief Jim Winters continually linked police priorities and actions with community interaction and service during an overview of his department at the August 12 meeting of Rotary.  Winters and his family have lived in the Sycamore area since 1993.  He spent 27 years with the State Police prior to joining the Sycamore department four years ago.  He became chief three years ago.  His background includes criminal and narcotics investigations along with commanding multi-jurisdictional task forces.  The Sycamore department has 30 members including patrol officers, investigators, and two school resource officers (noting a particularly close working relationship with the school district to help build trust between officers and students).  Patrol officers work four 12-hour shifts a week giving 24-hour services to residents.  Coverage for special events is a large part of the department’s duties.   Normally they have 40 such gatherings a year ranging from citywide events like Pumpkin Fest and the Turning-Back-Time car show to neighborhood celebrations.  Police also go through an estimated 3,600 hours of training a year.  Winters said all these activities are focused on enhancing ties to the community.
 
Winters gave some  examples of the Sycamore department’s experience with recent national police issues.  Regarding COVID-19, he said there have been shifts in numbers for types of crimes (for example, noticeably fewer people driving meaning a decline in traffic incidents) but the overall crime rate is about the same.  His department had implemented a mental health partnership with Northwestern Medicine prior to the pandemic which has proved beneficial under current circumstances.  He said his department recently received a grant to update dash cameras in squad cars and hopes to get a grant in the future for body cameras.  Regarding concerns about excessive force, Winters said Sycamore already had policies in place prohibiting choke holds and requiring officers to intercede in disputes between other officers and the public.  He also noted how his department was able to work collaboratively during recent events so public protests remained peaceful.  Going forward, Winters said he hopes to build on community support for the police and  continue strong government/inter-agency relations so that officials and the public have a positive perception of police activities.

 

August 9, 1974 – Effective at noon, Richard M. Nixon resigned from the Presidency as a result of the Watergate scandal.  
 
August 11, 1965 – Six days of riots begin in the Watts area of Los Angeles triggered by a traffic stop and subsequent fight between an African American motorist and a white member of the California Highway Patrol.  The rioting results in 34 deaths, more than 3,000 people arrested, and damage to property listed at $40 million.
 
August 14, 1935 – President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act guaranteeing a pension supplement to workers retiring at age 65.
 
August 14, 1945 – V-J Day; President Harry Truman announces the Japanese surrender to the Allies to end World War II.