URBANA, Ill. — SafeWalks has temporarily extended its hours to provide free walking escorts to students, faculty and staff, beginning at 7 p.m. The extension, which makes SafeWalks available earlier than its usual 9 p.m. starting time, is scheduled through Sunday morning, when daylight saving time begins. Public safety officials extended SafeWalks hours in response to three off-campus incidents this week when students were confronted by men who displayed weapons. In two of those cases, the men made off with students’ belongings, and in the other, the offender fled before any words or property was exchanged. No students were injured [...]

URBANA, Ill. – U. of I. Police are reminding students and others to be on guard against potential scams at all times. Now that tax season is here, scams may pick up – especially scams targeting international students. The University of Illinois Police Department has not received any reports of unusual scam activity recently, and that is a trend that the department would like to see continue. A common scam involves an unknown caller who claims to be a representative of the U.S. government or IRS. These callers will claim that the person receiving the call owes money to the [...]

URBANA, Ill. — In an effort to be transparent about its plans and decision-making process during First Amendment gatherings, the University of Illinois Police Department is reminding campus community members about the Demonstration Response Plan which details exactly how university officials intend to safeguard students and their right to free expression. College campuses often serve as flashpoints for political disputes, which makes planning and transparency that much more important heading into a contentious election season. The pillars of the plan include clear communication, relationship building and a transparent decision-making process before and during an event, with campus safety and the protection of [...]