NORMAL – Illinois State University’s Police Department welcomes the newest member of their team, Paw-fficer Sage.
Sage is a part of the new community engagement unit from the department. As a certified therapy dog, the unit hopes Sage can bring comfort to people in the community
“Her job is to make people happy, from people who miss their to pets, to people who have gone through traumatic events,” one of the officers expands.
Members of the unit are often on the quad greeting students and handing out stickers to students to become familiar with Sage.
“It’s a whole new aspect of policing that we are doing now. It’s different from patrol, it’s different from a detective, it’s really about engaging our community,” one of the officers explains.
The new community engagement unit focuses on building relationships with students and having safety presentations throughout campus. Ultimately providing more security on campus and in the community.