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DeKALB – The DeKalb Police Department is celebrating one of its own after police officer Allison Remnes was named Law Officer of the Year by the veteran organization Forty and Eight (40&8).
Remnes is expected to be honored with an award during the 40&8 Illinois State Convention in Bloomington in August.
“It’s a really big honor,” Remnes said. “It feels good to know that what I did this year was seen by somebody. I also think it’s important that a school resource officer won, not necessarily me but any SRO. In general, winning that award, I think, is awesome because I think it shines a light on a side of policing that people don’t really see a whole lot of. We’re not the ones out running around town all day long doing the cool stuff that you see on TV. They don’t think about us when they’re thinking about who the police are.”
Remnes has worked for the DeKalb Police Department the past 10 years and is now serving as a school resource officer for elementary school buildings in DeKalb School District 428 schools.
It’s a really big honor. It feels good to know that what I did this year was seen by somebody. I also think it’s important that a school resource officer won, not necessarily me but any SRO.”
— DeKalb police office Allison Remnes
DeKalb Police Chief David Byrd heaped praise on Remnes for her work with students and families.
“Officer Allison Remnes represents the elite of our caring law enforcement officers,” Byrd said in a news release. “Not just doing their job but giving back to families and DeKalb citizens is a special credo of all our officers.”
Remnes said she had long wanted to become an SRO after joining the DeKalb Police Department.
“I worked the road for six years,” Remnes said.
As an SRO, Remnes said, there are some parts of policing she cannot help but miss.
“I miss the camaraderie of hanging out with the entire police department and seeing everybody who’s on the different shifts,” she said. “When you’re on the SRO unit, there’s five of us, and we just only see each other.
“But with that being said, our SRO unit is a very tight-knit team. We call each other family. We have an SRO Thanksgiving. We get together even when we’re not working. I miss the camaraderie on patrol, but I do still get that in the SRO unit.”
Remnes said she is glad she took the path she did to become an SRO.
She said she studied and earned degrees in criminal justice and elementary education.
“The elementary SRO job is the perfect combination of those two things,” Remnes said. “My grandfather was a police officer, and my mom was a teacher. So I guess I had trouble deciding between the two. Then, I ultimately decided on becoming a police officer but sort of always had it in my mind that I wanted to become an SRO. Then, when they created the elementary SRO spot, that was the perfect timing for me in my career. … I’ve been at it ever since.”
Remnes said the key to connecting with the youth as an SRO is easy to pinpoint.
“I think just listening and showing them that you care about them,” she said. “I tell them that I care about them, but then I try to do all these extra things to show them that I care about them. For me, it’s made a difference so far.”
Remnes added that she considers herself a good listener and is always willing to consider new ideas, tips and suggestions that can be applied on the job.
“Part of it is also just listening to staff members in the buildings that I am in and trying to figure out what it is that they need or what they think would help and then trying to implement them based on what building I’m talking about,” Remnes said. “Like at [Gwendolyn] Brooks [Elementary School], one of the big things that I did new this past year was I had a free general store where the kids can come in and get snacks. That really increases the traffic in and out of my office and helps me become more familiar with all of the kids and have a better relationship with them so that they feel like they can talk to me.”