Officer George Sandwick was selected as the March employee of the month for his continued determination in identifying and holding accountable criminal offenders that detract from the quality of life on campus for our students, faculty and staff.
We’ll give you a specific example:
Not long ago, Officer Sandwick took a theft report in which a pair of headphones were stolen from the Illini Union Tech Zone. The offender put one pair of headphones in his bag and brought a second pair to the cashier to attempt a purchase. The credit card transaction was declined, and the offender abandoned one pair of headphones at the checkout but left the store with the second pair still concealed in his bag. The next day, a very similar theft occurred at the Illini Union Tech Zone. Officer Sandwick reviewed security camera footage and worked with Tech Zone employees and other witnesses who were in the area to identify a suspect. After the offender made some attempts to dodge police, Officer Sandwick eventually found the suspect and listened to his confession.
Theft is the most common crime on college campuses across the country, and ours is no exception. Although property crime may generally be perceived as less severe, it has a huge impact on people who are victimized. Officer Sandwick realizes this, and he gives his full attention and effort to any person who reports any crime on our campus, no matter the circumstances. Without Officer Sandwick’s intervention here, it is likely that this would have continued and more people would have been impacted.
