When most students think of Langdon Street, safety is rarely the first word that comes to mind, but one Madison Police Department officer’s entire job is making sure students can walk and play in the area free from harm.
MPD officer Grant Humerickhouse assumed the role of Langdon Street Neighborhood Officer in February. Humerickhouse said he serves as a link between the neighborhood, police department, city and university.
Before being assigned to the position, Humerickhouse was a patrol officer on University Avenue and did work on Langdon Street as well. He said his experiences have familiarized him with the Central Police District and prepared him for this new position.
Humerickhouse said cooperation between MPD and student residents of Langdon Street was an important part of his job.
“I am a voice, I am a face, I am a liaison to the students,” Humerickhouse said. “They are a vital part of the downtown community – they bring a lot to the table.”
He called himself a “cheerleader” for the students because he works to encourage students to get involved and remain active in their community.
MPD officers assigned to the State-Langdon neighborhood area work with the University of Wisconsin Greek system to improve communication, Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said in an email.
“Over the past several years we have seen an improvement [in the] relationship between [residents] and law enforcement agents in general,” Resnick said.
Humerickhouse said it was important to have an officer specific to Langdon Street because it is a transitional area that is constantly changing. He added it is a compact area with people, places and vehicles and calls for attention from a neighborhood officer.
In working with MPD and the Langdon Street neighborhood, Humerickhouse said he hopes to target specific issues in the area, including alcohol, theft from vehicles and sexual assault.
He said while alcohol is not likely to leave Langdon Street and the downtown culture, MPD is working to promote education and safety.
MPD is also working on a project to reduce theft from vehicles, since statistically incidents rise in April. MPD officers are currently pursuing educating the neighborhood to prevent such thefts and adding more officers to the area.
Humerickhouse added night safety and sexual assault prevention were also important goals. He said MPD was trying to bring back Lights on Langdon, a student neighborhood watch program on Friday and Saturday nights.
