Police warn against phone, internet scams
URBANA, Ill. – U. of I. Police are reminding students and other to be on guard against potential scams at all times. The University Police Department received at least one report of a student being defrauded of a large amount of money after receiving an online message indicating that he had a computer virus and needed to call a phone number to have it fixed. When he called, the scammer demanded that the student purchase a series of gift cards and read the gift card information over the phone to pay for the fix. The calls continued for several days [...]
Bike thefts down as anti-theft initiative continues
URBANA, Ill. – Bicycle thefts are down in the first half of the fall semester as the University of Illinois Police Department continues an initiative to prevent thefts and increase the quality of life on campus. From Aug. 23 through Oct. 9, only 13 bicycle thefts were reported to University Police. That is fewer reports than the same time period for four of the past five years. Two of the thefts reported involved the University Police Department’s anti-theft bikes, which are designed to help police track and identify bicycle thieves. The bikes are strategically placed at campus locations most frequently [...]
Getting to know Telecommunications Supervisor Ed Kavanaugh
We had 11 questions for Telecommunications Supervisor Ed Kavanaugh in our ongoing series to get to know Division of Public Safety staff members. Ed works in the University of Illinois Police telecommunications room, which is the first point of contact for people who come in or call seeking assistance. Telecommunicators also serve a critical role in assisting police officers on the street by checking records or security cameras when there is a crime in progress, among many other duties. How long have you worked for the Division of Public Safety? More than 15 years. What's a typical day like for [...]
U. of I. Police publish Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
URBANA, Ill. – The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on Tuesday published its Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, which is intended to increase public awareness of safety trends on campus. The report, which is available at http://police.illinois.edu/clery, includes statistics from the previous three years concerning reported crime that occurred on campus, in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It also includes statistics for fires in on-campus student housing. The bulk of the report includes institutional policies concerning campus security and other safety information, along with fire safety policies and procedures. The information [...]
Traffic advisory: Street closures to accommodate Friday night game
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini football team plays at 8 p.m. Friday, which means that campus street closures will take effect earlier in the day. Some Friday commutes will be disrupted by these weekday closures, so motorists are urged to plan ahead if their routes are affected. Kirby Avenue between First and Fourth streets will be closed beginning at 9 a.m. Friday. It will remain closed through all of Saturday to accommodate high school games taking place at Memorial Stadium.First Street between Kirby Avenue and Peabody Drive will be closed beginning at 11 a.m. Friday. The closure will be [...]