Bradley University Security and Police badges and patches, 1950s - 1990s
Title
Bradley University Security and Police badges and patches, 1950s - 1990s
Description
Bradley University did not always have its own police force.
In the 1950s, Bradley employed a night watchman. Responding to Civil Rights demonstrations in the 1960s, Bradley formed a security department. In the 1970s and 1980s, Bradley’s security force met with increasing criticisms from Bradley students and growing concerns of Peoria’s Chief of Police. During the Fall of 1972, the Student Senate issued a report and made recommendations to senior administration focused on increased transparency and training of security officers and an immediate change in leadership of the security force. After a university investigation and the controversial firing of Curly Johnson, David Baer was hired as the new Director of Security in 1973. Dave Baer served for the next 37 years and guided Bradley’s security force through the process of becoming a state-certified police force. Baer helped craft and guide a law through the state legislature in 1985 that allowed private universities to establish their own police departments and Bradley University became the first in the state of Illinois to do so.
Policing a university campus and population was complicated and even more so when that force relied on yearly commissions from the Peoria police chief to carry weapons and make arrests. In 1984, Chief Pisano grew reluctant to continue issuing commissions to Bradley’s private security officers. An incident that evades our research thus far contributed to this shift and Pisano also added that bad policing by Bradley’s force would fall on him and the city of Peoria. Commissions had to be renewed yearly but once issued, PPD could not enforce training nor could the chief discipline private officers or even assign duties. These responsibilities fell to Bradley University. Discussions about policing and security turned immediately to the importance of officers possessing a gun and the power to arrest. Without these tools at their disposal, would Bradley officers be able to safeguard the campus community? Associate Vice President Jim Erickson told the Peoria Journal Star in 1984 that students and parents did not think so and overwhelmingly supported Bradley’s security officers carrying weapons and making arrests. Baer agreed and went to work advocating for a change in state law. Baer retired in 2010 and Brian Joschko was hired as Bradley’s Chief of Police in 2011. Bradley University’s police officers are state-certified and hold jurisdiction in all of Peoria County.
The use of Native imagery runs through Bradley history. Please see the Introduction to this exhibit, which includes a curatorial note from the Head of Special Collections about this history.
Photo by Ching Zedric.
In the 1950s, Bradley employed a night watchman. Responding to Civil Rights demonstrations in the 1960s, Bradley formed a security department. In the 1970s and 1980s, Bradley’s security force met with increasing criticisms from Bradley students and growing concerns of Peoria’s Chief of Police. During the Fall of 1972, the Student Senate issued a report and made recommendations to senior administration focused on increased transparency and training of security officers and an immediate change in leadership of the security force. After a university investigation and the controversial firing of Curly Johnson, David Baer was hired as the new Director of Security in 1973. Dave Baer served for the next 37 years and guided Bradley’s security force through the process of becoming a state-certified police force. Baer helped craft and guide a law through the state legislature in 1985 that allowed private universities to establish their own police departments and Bradley University became the first in the state of Illinois to do so.
Policing a university campus and population was complicated and even more so when that force relied on yearly commissions from the Peoria police chief to carry weapons and make arrests. In 1984, Chief Pisano grew reluctant to continue issuing commissions to Bradley’s private security officers. An incident that evades our research thus far contributed to this shift and Pisano also added that bad policing by Bradley’s force would fall on him and the city of Peoria. Commissions had to be renewed yearly but once issued, PPD could not enforce training nor could the chief discipline private officers or even assign duties. These responsibilities fell to Bradley University. Discussions about policing and security turned immediately to the importance of officers possessing a gun and the power to arrest. Without these tools at their disposal, would Bradley officers be able to safeguard the campus community? Associate Vice President Jim Erickson told the Peoria Journal Star in 1984 that students and parents did not think so and overwhelmingly supported Bradley’s security officers carrying weapons and making arrests. Baer agreed and went to work advocating for a change in state law. Baer retired in 2010 and Brian Joschko was hired as Bradley’s Chief of Police in 2011. Bradley University’s police officers are state-certified and hold jurisdiction in all of Peoria County.
The use of Native imagery runs through Bradley history. Please see the Introduction to this exhibit, which includes a curatorial note from the Head of Special Collections about this history.
Photo by Ching Zedric.
Date
1950s-1990s
Subject
Campus police
Rights
For official publication permission or to request high resolution images, contact Special Collections at specialcollections@bradley.edu or (309)677-2822.
Citation
“Bradley University Security and Police badges and patches, 1950s - 1990s,” Virginius H. Chase Special Collections Center, accessed May 8, 2024, https://bradleyspecialcollections.omeka.net/items/show/78.