URBANA, Illinois – Five license plate readers will be installed at key locations on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus as University Police seek modern solutions to maintain campus safety. The technological tools will complement the ongoing proactive policing and outreach initiatives that University Police have already undertaken – including extra patrols, new security cameras, additional safety education and supportive mental health resources provided through its REACH team, along with other collaborative university initiatives. “Technology like this is a valuable deterrence and enforcement tool, and the license plate readers add another layer of safety to our campus area,” said U. of I. [...]

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Chris Williams was one of the newest members of the Fighting Illini football program this year, but not in a role you might expect. Williams is not a player, and he’s not a member of the coaching staff. He is a University of Illinois Police officer – and he hopes that he can add friend and mentor to that title as well. Williams has embedded with the team this season through the new University Police athletic liaison program. The initiative has two primary objectives: keep the team safe and interact with members of the program so that [...]

URBANA, Ill. – The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Division of Public Safety this week published its 2022-2025 strategic plan, which outlines its values, goals and objectives for the next few years. The plan is built around seven pillars: community engagement, the Community Outreach and Support Team, communication, employee development, maintaining a safe campus environment, technology and resilience. The plan can be accessed here. Each pillar includes specific goals the department intends to accomplish before 2025, including ensuring transparency in department initiatives, identifying disconnects with the community, proactively communicating about safety, enhancing training, preventing crime, deploying technological solutions for complex public safety [...]

URBANA, Illinois – The University of Illinois Police Department has published its “Year In Review” annual report looking back at statistics and other department information for the 2020-2021 school year. The full report is available at demo.ips2.clanincreative.com/YearInReview. The 2020-2021 school year was marked by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. With few students and staff on campus, University Police calls for service were down more than 37 percent from the 2018-2019 school year, which was the last time students were on campus for the full academic year. University Police issued only four alcohol-related citations during the entire school year, all for [...]

URBANA, Illinois – The University of Illinois Police Department is taking proactive steps to prevent crime – particularly gun violence – in the area immediately bordering campus. Public Safety officials introduced several new techniques immediately following an Aug. 21 shooting near Second and Green streets in Champaign. One person was injured in that shooting, but no U. of I. students or employees were involved. “We do not take these incidents lightly, especially when they occur in such close proximity to our campus,” said University Police Chief Alice Cary. “It is imperative that we take proactive steps to deter further violence [...]