Where can you go to seek safety from someone in rage?

Original Post: Spring/Summer 2007
Current: 2009

In light of the recent tragedy of the homicide of a woman while seeking refuge at the Fox Lake Police Department, we thought it would be a good opportunity to inform the residents of what they could expect if it was necessary for them to seek safety at our Police facility at 301 W. Ryan Rd.

Oak Creek Police Department 301 W. Ryan Rd

Our police department, like the vast majority of departments, does not have “front window” staff working 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Our normal business hours are similar to most other businesses. We are open to walk-in customers from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Mon-Fri) and 8 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturdays. We are closed on Sundays. However, our main entrance doors are never locked. Once inside the building, you are in what we consider the outer vestibule. The second set of entrance doors that allows entrance into our main lobby, are locked after 6pm and controlled with magnetic door locks. After normal business hours, anyone who enters through the main entrance doors into the outer vestibule, activates a constant audible signal in our Dispatch Center (which is staffed 24/7). This alarm keeps sounding until a dispatcher manually overrides it. Our outer vestibule is also equipped with cameras and a two-way intercom system. Once the entry alarm is activated, dispatchers almost immediately check the video monitors in the Dispatch Center to see who and/or what is going on in the outer vestibule.

Oak Creek Police Department Main Entrance

In the event that a person entering the outer vestibule area is in danger, dispatchers can quickly override the locks and allow the person into our main lobby. The main lobby doors are then automatically re-secured. Our dispatchers will use the intercom to instruct the person to seek further security inside either the women’s or men’s restroom located in the lobby area. The bathrooms have heavy wooden doors with a deadbolt lock from the inside providing additional concealment from anyone that would possibly breach the glass lobby doors. This gives anyone seeking “safe haven” double protection until officers can respond. Immediately recognizing an emergency at the entrance to our police department, dispatchers will alert any officers who may be inside the building as well as alert any available patrol squads of the situation.

No system or pre-plan will address all situations, but we feel we are prepared to provide the utmost protection to a victim faced with a dangerous situation to the best of our abilities taking into account available staffing and technology.