URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - University of Illinois police are hiring community service officers to assist in non-emergency incidents in the campus area.
Police said they plan to soon deploy unarmed community service officers to those incidents. There will be four officers available to respond to less serious calls.
The idea is to free up sworn officers for more proactive crime prevention work. Authorities believe this will help with response times to more serious offenses and crimes in progress.
“CSOs will be a great complement to our existing police staffing and enhance our overall service to the campus community,” said Executive Director of Public Safety and University Police Chief Alice Cary. “We want to concentrate our sworn officers’ time on critical safety issues, and CSOs are a creative alternative to refocus some of those resources.”
U of I police emphasized CSOs are not police officers and do not carry weapons. They would not replace police officers on emergency calls or crimes in progress. However, they would be able to talk with community members who want to report crimes like minor theft, lost property, vandalism, lockouts and other quality of life issues.
Candidates who are enthusiastic about community service and helping to solve safety issues and other problems are wanted. If a person is interested and qualified, they may be able to transfer into police officer roles after gaining CSO experience.
“This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to get early experience in a law enforcement setting, or just for people excited about helping their fellow community members,” Cary said. “We are excited about this new initiative and the chance to bolster our service throughout the Campustown area.”
Click here for the job posting.
