The DeKalb Police Department and school districts have initiated safety plans for potential crisis situations.

The DeKalb Police Department is working with NIU to take what happened during the Feb. 14 shootings and to learn from the incident, Lt. Gary Spangler said.

The police officers are familiarizing themselves with buildings on NIU’s campus, he said.

Spangler said officers train every year for active shooters, and the department is upgrading its weapons.

“Equipment training and training is a primary avenue to increase our response to these incidents, making things safer for the public,” he said.

Teachers in high schools and grammar schools train with the police department to be prepared in case a situation arises, Spangler said.

Russ Fletcher, School Community Relations Liaison for District 428, said every school district in Illinois requires a full-scenario crisis plan. He added that the plan provides security protocols for situations such as weather emergencies and bus accidents.

The DeKalb School District consistently trains throughout the school year for different crisis scenarios, he said.

Fletcher hopes the level of interaction between NIU and the community increases.

“We are hoping what comes out of this particular event is an increase in a level of communication with the NIU Police force and the DeKalb School District,” he said.

Karen Baker, assistant vice president of NIU’s Human Resource Administration, said the incident created a stronger community.

“The reality is, it has made the community, both the DeKalb and university, stronger, closer and more resilient,” she said. “I believe that NIU is safe and that the university response reflected the strength and resiliency of the NIU and DeKalb communities.”

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