DuPage families choose this county for its safety, schools, and quality of life. Protecting that promise requires more than slogans—it takes day-in, day-out partnership among residents, law enforcement, county leadership, and community organizations. Isobel Michaud’s approach is simple: support the people who protect us, strengthen trust with the neighborhoods they serve, and use clear data to guide decisions so every community feels secure.
Back the front line—tools, training, staffing.
Public safety begins with well-prepared first responders. Isobel supports ensuring deputies and first responders have the equipment, technology, and continuing education needed to reduce response times and resolve incidents safely. That means modern radios and body-worn cameras, de-escalation and mental-health response training, and staffing models that put more officers where they’re most needed. When emergencies happen—a 9-1-1 call, a traffic crash, a public disturbance—seconds matter. The county’s job is to help our departments meet those moments with professionalism and speed.
Build trust through openness and standards.
Safety and trust rise together. Isobel will champion simple, public safety dashboards that share response-time averages, training hours, and case-clearance trends in plain English. Clear standards and transparent reporting help residents understand what’s working and where improvement is needed. She also supports robust professional standards and regular training to ensure everyone is treated with dignity, and that community feedback is heard, logged, and addressed.
Focus on prevention as well as enforcement.
A safe county doesn’t just react—it prevents. Isobel will support data-driven strategies that identify hot spots for theft, burglary, and traffic risks, then pair targeted patrols with environmental fixes like lighting, signage, and sightline trimming. She’ll encourage partnerships with local schools, faith communities, and youth nonprofits to expand mentoring, internships, and after-school programs that give teens healthy pathways and reduce opportunities for crime.
Coordinate on behavioral health and repeat crisis calls.
Many 9-1-1 calls involve mental- or behavioral-health needs. Isobel favors proven co-response and referral models—where trained professionals can be dispatched alongside law enforcement when appropriate—to stabilize situations and connect people to care. The goal is twofold: keep officers focused on public safety and ensure residents in crisis encounter help that matches the moment. Tracking outcomes (repeat calls, wait times for services, follow-up success) keeps everyone accountable.
Protect neighborhoods and small businesses.
From catalytic-converter theft to retail shrink, crime hits families and employers in the wallet. Isobel will convene regular small-business safety roundtables and encourage simple tools—camera registries, ALERT text/email lists, and storefront security checkups—to deter property crime and aid investigations. She supports targeted anti-theft initiatives and quick-reporting channels so businesses feel heard and supported.
Measure what matters and publish it.
Isobel will push for a concise set of countywide metrics: average priority-call response times, case-clearance rates, training hours per officer, repeat-call reductions for behavioral-health responses, and satisfaction from community surveys. Quarterly publication of these numbers—in a clean, mobile-friendly format—lets residents see progress and ask smart questions.
Empower residents to help.
Public safety is a team sport. Isobel will make it easier to:
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Start or join a neighborhood watch and receive block-by-block alerts.
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Request a “safety audit” for homes, schools, houses of worship, and small businesses.
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Participate in community briefings on crime trends and prevention.
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Volunteer with youth mentorship and re-entry support programs that cut recidivism.
Funding with discipline and transparency.
Every dollar for public safety should be tied to outcomes. Isobel supports competitive bidding, multi-year planning for major equipment, and grant pursuit that eases pressure on local taxpayers. If a program doesn’t deliver results, fix it or sunset it and redirect funds to what works.
Bottom line.
Safe neighborhoods grow from trust, tools, training, and teamwork. With Isobel Michaud’s common-sense leadership—supporting law enforcement, partnering with residents, and reporting results plainly—DuPage can remain the place where families feel secure, businesses invest, and kids grow up with opportunity. Safety isn’t partisan; it’s the foundation of a thriving county.
