It’s not the police fault at all in my opinion...they are doing a good job for the resources they have.

Whose fault is it: it’s a combination of landlords overbuilding rental units (excess supply) and a dropping enrollment (limited demand). Then cheap housing is not filled with those that the biggest worry is throwing a party too loud, it’s other folks (some good, some bad, but low income areas tend to have higher crime).

Solution: a really big bulldozer (that won’t happen and what is being knocked down is a drop of water in a lake) or you grow yourself out of it (where you still have bad areas but it becomes smaller in perception). Problem with that is all the high end growth is going to Sycamore, and dekalb remains the same size. Best chance is to increase student enrollment again somehow someway back to 25000+

Take time to read this post because it is exactly the issue in the area.

(12-15-2017 03:07 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I remember 10 years ago SIU was rated as the nation’s #2 party school behind Arizona St. They “cleaned up” but lost their identity and lifeblood of students doing so.

Maybe this is the result of the decline.

(12-16-2017 09:34 AM)JB04 Wrote:  It’s not the police fault at all in my opinion...they are doing a good job for the resources they have.

Whose fault is it: it’s a combination of landlords overbuilding rental units (excess supply) and a dropping enrollment (limited demand). Then cheap housing is not filled with those that the biggest worry is throwing a party too loud, it’s other folks (some good, some bad, but low income areas tend to have higher crime).

Solution: a really big bulldozer (that won’t happen and what is being knocked down is a drop of water in a lake) or you grow yourself out of it (where you still have bad areas but it becomes smaller in perception). Problem with that is all the high end growth is going to Sycamore, and dekalb remains the same size. Best chance is to increase student enrollment again somehow someway back to 25000+

Take time to read this post because it is exactly the issue in the area.

Some of those buildings could use a bulldozer... i think the last nice construction was the Knolls by Mason. Everything else was built in the 70s-90s.

(12-16-2017 08:28 AM)PrideinthePack2 Wrote:  

(12-15-2017 10:55 PM)nucyberdawg Wrote:  I think its unfair and untrue that DeKalb police and NIU have ignored the problems associated with many of those residing in surrounding areas I once called home.

In today’s climate officers aren’t as willing to stick their neck out for fear of lawsuits or worse prison time. They don’t want to be the top story on the evening news. You see 100% legally justified shootings happen and it still leads to officers losing their job and branded as a racist by the torch mob. PAnd don’t even get me started on the justice system. It’s a joke. Catch and release. If the system doesn’t give a damn, and the lynch mob is waiting for any mistake to foam at the mouth, why should the officers care? The only thing that matters is payday and getting home safe. Let the savages roam free.

I didn't mention police as ignoring. Not by any means. They are expected to fix the issues and do more than expected. Niu has ignored problems for sure though. They are now trying to deal with the perception issues. And the city has allowed slum lords to run down properties. City should have been proactive once all the properties were built west of Annie glidden.

NIU is recognized as having one of the pre-eminent public administration programs in the country. Many of the city managers in Illinois are graduates of the MPA program. Have they been solicited for input?

The feedback I’ve received from families looking to send their Recent HS graduates to college is that NIU and the city of DeKalb is not attractive and does not have a college atmosphere. I’ve heard the same about Southern. Most people I know have chosen North Central College and ISU.

(12-16-2017 11:11 AM)Dtownboys Wrote:  

(12-16-2017 08:28 AM)PrideinthePack2 Wrote:  

(12-15-2017 10:55 PM)nucyberdawg Wrote:  I think its unfair and untrue that DeKalb police and NIU have ignored the problems associated with many of those residing in surrounding areas I once called home.

In today’s climate officers aren’t as willing to stick their neck out for fear of lawsuits or worse prison time. They don’t want to be the top story on the evening news. You see 100% legally justified shootings happen and it still leads to officers losing their job and branded as a racist by the torch mob. PAnd don’t even get me started on the justice system. It’s a joke. Catch and release. If the system doesn’t give a damn, and the lynch mob is waiting for any mistake to foam at the mouth, why should the officers care? The only thing that matters is payday and getting home safe. Let the savages roam free.

I didn't mention police as ignoring. Not by any means. They are expected to fix the issues and do more than expected. Niu has ignored problems for sure though. They are now trying to deal with the perception issues. And the city has allowed slum lords to run down properties. City should have been proactive once all the properties were built west of Annie glidden.

I never said you mentioned the police as ignoring.

My comment was clearly replying to someone else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f8SLXKfyc8

Looks like DeKalb used to be a nice, quiet little town until they started importing garbage and building low income housing. What does that do for a community? Nothing, it just degrades the environment. Its why Sycamore doesn't experience shootings and rampant crime and why I chose to move there after school. I lived off ridge dr. for several years when I was in school, and before that off twombly and in university plaza (before it got turned into apartments). Living among low income housing tenants sucked, to say the least.

(12-16-2017 02:48 PM)SiegInc Wrote:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f8SLXKfyc8

Looks like DeKalb used to be a nice, quiet little town until they started importing garbage and building low income housing. What does that do for a community? Nothing, it just degrades the environment. Its why Sycamore doesn't experience shootings and rampant crime and why I chose to move there after school. I lived off ridge dr. for several years when I was in school, and before that off twombly and in university plaza (before it got turned into apartments). Living among low income housing tenants sucked, to say the least.

No one was ever "building low income housing". We have pretty standard collegiate housing, with the empty units being rented below market to non-student residents.

We simply need to get our numbers back up to the 25k range and they will back fill once again into many of those residences.

Some Kudos for Dekalb: http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2017/12/1...b/aju9zrj/

Does SIU still pay the BB coach $850,000 a yr?

(12-16-2017 09:49 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  Does SIU still pay the BB coach $850,000 a yr?

He was fired in 2012 with 2 years left on his contract.

He took SIU to 2 Sweet 16’s including a top 15 ranking in 2007 with a top 25 recruiting class coming in.

4 years later, they were 8-23 and his wife was confiscating anti-Lowery signs during games.

Coaching beyond HS level is often a high risk, high reward roller coaster profession.
Just look at how many retreads fill the coaching circuit. Solich and Bowden are two MAC coaches fitting the profile. Only a very few are upward mobile. Many slide laterally and others slide down and up again. Brady Hoke comes to mind. Two other odd roller coaster rises include Brain Kelly and Chip Kelly--- from penthouse to outhouse and back.

(12-16-2017 02:48 PM)SiegInc Wrote:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f8SLXKfyc8

Looks like DeKalb used to be a nice, quiet little town until they started importing garbage and building low income housing. What does that do for a community? Nothing, it just degrades the environment. Its why Sycamore doesn't experience shootings and rampant crime and why I chose to move there after school. I lived off ridge dr. for several years when I was in school, and before that off twombly and in university plaza (before it got turned into apartments). Living among low income housing tenants sucked, to say the least.

All those white people. Make America Great Again. Is that what you mean?

(12-17-2017 12:19 AM)NIU75 Wrote:  

(12-16-2017 02:48 PM)SiegInc Wrote:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f8SLXKfyc8

Looks like DeKalb used to be a nice, quiet little town until they started importing garbage and building low income housing. What does that do for a community? Nothing, it just degrades the environment. Its why Sycamore doesn't experience shootings and rampant crime and why I chose to move there after school. I lived off ridge dr. for several years when I was in school, and before that off twombly and in university plaza (before it got turned into apartments). Living among low income housing tenants sucked, to say the least.

All those white people. Make America Great Again. Is that what you mean?

Let’s not throw out politics and then the racist card. Sieg was just posting what he believes and did. I don’t like the flight to Sycamore because it has been at the expense of Dekalb/NIU, but that’s what people that can afford to move do. However, it is a fact that the low income areas bring more crime and soak up city resources (ask the police how often they visit that area versus the north/south parts of town). My parents live and have lived near the university for 30 years and it has changed.

Two years ago I met an alumnus who is now teaching accounting at Penn St. He saw I was wearing a NIU hat and stopped to talk. He asked me how things were at NIU. I said the biggest problem was crime. It was destroying recruitment and retention at NIU. He attended NIU over 20 years ago and was not aware of the situation and was surprised what has happened to his quiet DeKalb.

As drastic as it sounds the only way to fix things are to buy up the excess housing and get rid of it. Also the attitude of admit anyone and see who lasts a year may not be the best long term strategy.

(12-18-2017 01:43 PM)brandsxb Wrote:  Two years ago I met an alumnus who is now teaching accounting at Penn St. He saw I was wearing a NIU hat and stopped to talk. He asked me how things were at NIU. I said the biggest problem was crime. It was destroying recruitment and retention at NIU. He attended NIU over 20 years ago and was not aware of the situation and was surprised what has happened to his quiet DeKalb.

As drastic as it sounds the only way to fix things are to buy up the excess housing and get rid of it. Also the attitude of admit anyone and see who lasts a year may not be the best long term strategy.

You tighten up your zoning laws. They is a variety of ways to improve housing if the city really wants it.
U of I and ISU have seen a huge uptick on upscale student housing. It is amazing what parents are willing to pay to keep their kids happy.

I was in shock what I saw near Hillcrest/Normal Road and north. That used to be all student parking, now appears sec. 8.

I understand that that occurs everywhere. But that close to to campus, student housing?

Please.

Wasn't ex NIU big shot Robert Collins an owner of some of the Sec 8 property that sprouted up in Dekalb? NIU's leadership could have prevented alot of this.

Very thankful Collins is finally gone.

(12-18-2017 07:01 PM)prairiedawg Wrote:  Wasn't ex NIU big shot Robert Collins an owner of some of the Sec 8 property that sprouted up in Dekalb? NIU's leadership could have prevented alot of this.

Very thankful Collins is finally gone.

I don't think Collins was, but Eddie Williams was.

I'd like to attempt to clarify a few stereotypes:

*The number of Section 8 (& Subsidized) Housing participants, in DeKalb, is essentially UNCHANGED over the last decade - Trust me, this is a FACT.
*The number of crimes associated with these Section 8 participants is immaterial.
*The number of people living below the poverty level in DeKalb has increased.
*Many of these people do live in this area (Northwest Corridor).
*Most of these people DO NOT live in government subsidized properties.

It is NOT a "Section 8" issue. It is an income and property management issue. The Annie Glidden North Task Force is attempting to better understand these issues.

Just the Facts

(12-15-2017 03:45 PM)nucyberdawg Wrote:  

(12-15-2017 07:46 AM)JB04 Wrote:  NIU has proximity to Chicagoland, which give it an advantage in the fight for students versus the other directional schools. Unfortunately, IL state schools are just not in style right now. 20 years ago most high school kids went to one of the 6/7, now kids are jumping states or going private.

Also, I hate saying this but although NIU has proximity, we really have to overcome the NW part of DeKalb. It doesn't look or feel like college....I stopped at 7-11 to get gas after a basketball game a couple weeks ago and lets just say I didn't stop in to get a slurpee for the kids. That area needs a college feel where students wonder around to coffee shops, bars, fun non-chain fast food restaurants, etc. it's sad that NIU has basically one "college bar/restaurant" with fattys. Meh....I'll stop now because I know people are going to criticize this post somehow

I understand where you are coming from re: NW DeKalb. However, KEEP THIS IN MIND : NW DeKalb is not the center of the universe nor NIU. Several aspects of DeKalb and NIU today are better than years ago.

I lived in Suburban Estates Apartments on Twombly when first opened in 1965/66. It was nothing to write home about then nor is it now. I visited my old stomping grounds each homecoming weekend. I also lived on Greenbrier in what was frat row and it was marginal at best by many standards.

Times change. However IMHO not all that much has changed along N Glidden except for more undesirables.

There are more significant and urgent priorities other than amenities lacking in NW DeKalb.

Many different factors contribute to enrollment declines across IL Universities. While each state school may have its unique variables one thing is a constant. The number of Illinois HS graduates is dropping as is state population.

Enrollment at Junior/Community Colleges is continuing to grow and with the cost difference between 2 and 4 year growing inexorably apart it seems, the number of Underclassmen at state schools is going to continue to decline until the population increases or those universities do something to attract out of state students.