October 2023 Volume 6, Issue 2
Meet your SVCC Resource Officer
If you ever see a uniformed officer walking the halls of Sauk Valley Community College, don’t be alarmed. Chances are high that it’s just Deputy Kyle Kellen, Sauk Valley Community College’s local Resource Officer.
Not to be confused with a security guard, the presence of a resource officer functionally acts as a crime deterrent and brings a level of reassurance to the campus that regular security guards might not. A large part of Deputy Kellen’s job is to be present and available on campus.
Following the Dixon high school shooting of 2018, SVCC decided that they needed a more official presence on campus than just the security guards. Working with the Lee County Sheriff’s Department, Sauk and the Department command staff interviewed a number of patrol officers who volunteered for the position.
Working with students was a familiar task. Said Kellen, “If any of the k-12 schools had an event, they would message me and say, ‘Hey, we’re doing stuff with the kids, would you come and play dodge ball with them?’ And I would show up, just because I love doing that stuff.” Given his status as a Sauk alumni, Deputy Kellen was excited to apply for the position. He credits his appointment to both his experience in the field and his outgoing personality.
Deputy Kellen is also a big part of the active shooter training. He trains faculty and members of staff to be prepared in case of an emergency.
After the drill on Wednesday, October 11th, he met with the heads of different departments to take notes on what worked well with the drill, as well as what didn’t. The drills help him and the rest of the Sauk security team determine weak points in general security. For example, they recently added more alarm bells, because a past drill helped them realize that the alarm couldn’t be heard on parts of the campus.
While Deputy Kellen is involved with the Police Academy on-campus, it’s not part of his official or unofficial duties. He takes time off to work with them, sharing his experience and perspective, in keeping with the spirit of an higher education facility.
There are several ways to get into contact with Deputy Kellen. If he’s not at his office in the Dillon Mall, you can stop by the Security desk and ask for him. You can also call the Sauk switchboard, where his extension is 340. For less pressing matters, he can also be reached at his Sauk email, kyle.kellen@svcc.edu.