A meeting of the Marquette University Police Department (MUPD) Advisory Board was called to order in Eckstein Hall 432 on Friday, March 23, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. Due and timely notice of the meeting, an agenda and draft minutes from the previous meeting were provided by email to each member of the Board in advance of the meeting. Notice of the meeting was also posted on the MUPD Advisory Board website. The meeting was open to the public.

Roll Call. Board members present in person at the meeting were Thomas Hammer, Chair of the Board and Associate Professor, Marquette University Law School; Keith Stanley, Executive Director of Avenues West and Near West Side Partners; Carol Trecek, Director of Continuing Education and Alumni Relations, Marquette University Dental School; Dr. Meghan Stroshine, Associate Professor in Social & Cultural Sciences, Klingler College of Arts and Sciences; and Ben Dombrowski, President of Marquette University Student Government (MUSG). Non-Board Members present at the meeting included; Jeff Kranz, MUPD Interim Chief; Ruth Peterson, MUPD Captain; Katie Berigan, MUPD Captain; Andy Huber, MUPD Officer; Joe Erwin, MUPD Detective Lieutenant; Chris Jenkins, Associate Director of University Communication; and Lauren Remsik, Assistant General Counsel (as legal counsel to the Board).

Consideration of Minutes of the April 18, 2017 Meeting. The minutes for the October 27, 2017 Board Meeting were approved.

Update on Departmental Activities

There is no update on the status of Chief Paul Mascari. He remains on administrative leave.

Recent Crime Trends in MUPD Patrol Areas. There have been no recently reported robberies. There have been several thefts of unattended property or at unlocked buildings. MUPD is working on a communication to students and neighborhood residents on how to prevent thefts from occurring. Several arrests at the residence halls were made related to drug dealing. MUPD is focusing more on drug dealing and the violence surrounding drug dealing; however, overall MUPD has seen a decrease in violent crimes.

Safety Alerts. MUPD received two inquiries from the Marquette Wire and a few calls from parents questioning why MUPD has stopped issuing safety alerts. The safety alert system is up and running, MUPD has not had any incidents occur that would trigger a safety alert, and therefore, MUPD has not had to issue any safety alerts. MUPD responded to the inquiries and parent phone calls with this information.

Active Shooter Training. Since the Florida school shooting MUPD has received several requests for active shooter training from individuals at Marquette, as well as nearby Catholic high schools (Cristo Rey and St. Joan Antida). In order to conduct an effective and safe active shooter training session, MUPD must have complete control over the environment in which the drill is completed. Because of this, these drills are often hard to run. MUPD ran such training for ROTC this week. Given the time ROTC members rise in the morning, MUPD was able to conduct active shooter training with this group. MUPD is looking to provide this training to individuals manning the front desk at residence halls and to the nearby Catholic high schools that have requested the training.

Potential Implementation of Stop Sticks. Stop sticks are devices used in motor vehicle chases to puncture the tires of a moving vehicle and allows for a slow release of air, so that the driver does not lose control of the car and crash. The stop sticks allow MUPD to intervene in a motor vehicle chase and reduce the danger those chases cause. MUPD has not yet purchased any stop sticks but is looking to purchase and implement these devices by Summer 2018. Captain Kranz has a draft policy for the implementation of the stop sticks and plans to present the policy to the Advisory Board for its endorsement prior to purchasing any stop sticks.

MUSG asked the Captain a question on ways to slow down traffic and increase pedestrian safety on campus. MUPD would like to install a speed hump on 16th and Clybourn to slow traffic. MUSG asked for yield signs to be placed on 15th Street, 14th Street and 16th Street, and for clear walkways and signage. MUPD plans to improve pedestrian safety on and around campus and will look into effective methods.

Tech Update

Body Cameras. MUPD is wrapping up its second body camera trial with the Motorola body camera. MUPD previously texted the Axon body cameras. Motorola offered MUPD a three-month trial for four officers and a shift commander, which was more than Axon offered in their trial package. MUPD prefers the Motorola cameras because of the large screen, the ability to turn the camera, and their compatibility with the MUPD radios. The Motorola cameras are Bluetooth and wireless. The data storage system allows for immediate upload of the film and is easy to use. Motorola’s five-year contract would equip all officers with body cameras and provide the data storage site to MUPD for $237,000. This fee would also include periodic system updates. MUPD plans to ask the Board of Trustees for the capital to fund this project.

ProPheonix Project Update. Officers are learning the new computer-aided dispatch and record system. This system has a lot of capabilities and MUPD will soon implement the business intelligence module, which will aid in mapping crime data and trends. Police departments in Ozaukee, Kenosha, Walworth, Waukesha and Racine Counties all use this system as well. The Milwaukee Police Department is switching to a new system soon, and that system will be able to communicate with ProPheonix.

Community Outreach: MUPD participated in Penfield Children Center’s “Shop with a Cop” and in the Reader Leader program at the United Community Center. MUPD received an award from the United Community Center for its involvement. Several other agencies have started to get involved in the Reader Leader program as well. Additionally, MUPD personnel raised $1,100 for the Special Olympics through their participation in the Polar Plunge.

Nattie, the MUPD dog, is a unique community outreach initiative which has been extremely successful. While not trained for traditional police activities, Nattie enables significantly increased contact and has opened the lines of communication between MUPD and the community, particularly the student body. Nattie participated in National Marquette Day and was featured on WTMJ tv.

MUPD is looking to implement a police aide position. This position would be for a 17 or 18-year-old in the area with an interest in law enforcement. The police aide would have a full-time internship with MUPD and would replace MUPD’s front desk attendant. The aide would attend school, occasionally accompany officers on ride-alongs and with some other duties. When the aide turns 21 years old, and assuming he or she has a good work history, MUPD would financially support the aide in the police academy.

This summer, MUPD is partnering with the FBI to host a one-week youth academy at Marquette. The FBI has previously run a youth academy at Harvard and has selected Marquette for its second program. Program participants will be educated regarding state, local, and federal law enforcement. There will be 15 program participants, male and female. All participants are selected by the FBI. The program will be held in July of 2018. Costs for this program will be split between MUPD and the FBI.

Public Comments. None.

Other Business. Mr. Stanley inquired about a homeless couple that has been living in a tent underneath an interchange near campus. MUPD is aware of the couple and has approached the couple a few times. The couple wishes to stay where they are and do not have plans to move. The Chair raised the issue of increased panhandling around 11th Street and Wisconsin Avenue. MUPD is limited in what it can do as panhandling is protected speech. MUPD tries to keep these individuals moving and will continue to do so.

Selection of Next Meeting Date. The next Board Meeting will be announced in the near future. It likely will take place at the end of May.

Adjournment. Mr. Stanley moved to adjourn, Ms. Trecek seconded. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned by the Chair at 3:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Lauren G. Remsik

Assistant General Counsel