Tim Herron, Community Outreach Officer in the Department of Public Safety, was recognized by the Metropolitan Chiefs Association with their 2019 Special Achievement Award during a ceremony in Omaha on Nov. 20. Pictured left are Dave Dibelka, associate director of Public Safety; Herron, Glen Still, president, Metro Chiefs Association; and Mike Reiner, senior director of Public Safety.
In his role, Officer Herron is the face of the department through his active involvement in many campus events. He is responsible for educating hundreds of the university’s students, faculty and staff through campus safety presentations, with an emphasis on active assailant response and self-defense classes.
In 2019, Officer Herron collaborated with Residence Life to initiate the Public Safety Liaison Officer program with the nine residence halls at Creighton. Officer Herron recruited officers to partner with specific living areas on campus. This innovative program allowed students to see Public Safety in a positive light as the officers conducted programs with the professional staff and students in each hall.
Officer Herron led the department’s initiative to market, distribute, and configure Peace of Mind (POM) personal safety devices for over 1,350 students, faculty, and staff. The POM is a Blue-Tooth enabled device paired with a smartphone app that allows users to immediately contact an emergency dispatcher. The device is activated with three clicks of a button and the speaker/microphone in the rechargeable fob allows the user to speak directly to an emergency dispatcher without handling the phone. The user’s exact geolocation is transmitted to the Public Safety dispatcher, along with personal profile info, enabling a repaid and informed emergency response.
Officer Herron also played a key role in the execution of the annual Project Homeless Connect Omaha, planning for parking and security for an event that brings 700 persons experiencing homelessness and 500 volunteers to the Creighton campus for a variety of health and social services. He adeptly balanced compassion for those in need with vigilance for misconduct, ensuring a successful event each year.
The Metro Chiefs Association is comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement executives and line staff from the Omaha metropolitan area, who meet monthly to network and discuss current crime trends and how to better enhance public safety.
