Shawn Kelly, an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is gearing up to take over as the new Langdon neighborhood police officer next week and wants to communicate with students by using social media to help keep them safe.
Kelly graduated from UW-Madison in 2001 with a degree in Behavioral Science and Law, now considered the Legal Studies Program, and a certificate in criminal justice.
Kelly will replace Grant Humerickhouse as the new Langdon neighborhood officer on Nov. 10, a position created for areas in Madison where specific ongoing issues need to be addressed.
Kelly said Langdon is a unique neighborhood because many of its residents are students who only live in the area for a year. These students often have to learn how to acclimate to issues that affect the neighborhood such as sexual assaults, battery and homelessness, according to Kelly.
Kelly also stressed that based on towns of comparable sizes, Madison is the fourth safest city in the nation. He said the community is hearing about crime more often because it is being spread through social media.
“There is no real giant spike in crime lately, it’s just been more publicized,” Kelly said. “In a sense, it’s a good thing because people know what’s going on, but at the same time it’s kind of given the perception that things have gone downhill.”
Still, he said taking precautions, such as having situational awareness and using the buddy system are ways to maintain safety at night.
He said his main goal is to serve as the contact for tenants at the apartments and Greek houses on Langdon Street when a problem arises. He said he is looking to open up lines of communication with the community to help keep residents safe.
In order to connect with students, Kelly said he is open to using technology, such as the department’s Facebook page, which in the past has not been updated regularly.
“Community policing is something that has dramatically changed policing,” Kelly said. “I want to be out there in the community, making myself known, making contacts.”
