University Chief of Police Matt Kiederlen is representing chiefs and campus police across the nation as the chairperson for the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Systems Beyond 2021 Task Force.

“The National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) is a more detail-focused reporting mechanism, whereas with Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), if I have a homicide, I report [that]. With NIBRS, if I have a homicide that also involved a sexual assault and robbery, I’m reporting all three elements,” Kiederlen said. “It gives us a better understanding of what crime is being committed.”

Kiederlen was chosen as chairperson for the task force due to his involvement with major law enforcement organizations.

“I’ve been active in the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administration (IACLEA). I was in the unique position where I could represent both organizations,” said Kiederlen.

Kiederlen has been working in law enforcement for nearly 28 years, starting at Northern Illinois University, working his way up to operations commander over a span of 15 years. He has been chief of police at UW-W for 12 years.

Knowing about the NIBRS transition ahead of time helped Kiederlen budget in time to train officers, as well as factor in crime on college campuses and relate that to data collected by NIBRS.

“My biggest concern revolves around the use of alcohol and drugs simply because the majority of violence that I see tends to also involve that,” said Kiederlen. “The trick with those is that it is a personal use decision, and I can’t really get in between that.”

Kiederlen stated that he has always felt supported by the community and knows that they are listening to him just as much as he is listening to them.

“As a chief, I have always felt supported by our administration, our community and our students. The majority of the time when I come forward and say that we need this, I have always had the support.”

By January of 2021, the FBI will no longer collect UCR statistics, meaning that each department is responsible for making the transition. With the FBI task force working hard, it will be a smooth transition to a safer community.