Getting to know Officer Chris Elston
We had 11 questions for Officer Chris Elston in our ongoing series to get to know Division of Public Safety staff. How long have you worked for the University of Illinois Police Department? Almost five years. What's a typical day like for you? Weather permitting, I like to patrol on one of our Harley-Davidson police motorcycles. It makes it easy to get around campus, especially if we get a call in an area like the quad. I work the midnight shift, so every day of the week can be interesting. What's your favorite part of your job? What's the worst? [...]
U. of I. Police offer resources following biased attack
CHAMPAIGN – The University of Illinois Police Department is reminding students about crime reporting options and resources while it assists the Champaign Police Department in following-up on a report that a man was attacked just off campus on March 4. Last week, the Champaign Police Department shared information about a report that a man was approached from behind and struck in the head and face while walking near First and Daniel streets, Champaign, during the early morning hours of March 4. The unknown attacker yelled derogatory statements regarding the man’s perceived ethnicity during the attack. The attack was reported to the Champaign [...]
Springfield Avenue closed on campus Friday and Saturday
URBANA — Springfield Avenue between Wright Street and Goodwin Avenue will be closed beginning Friday morning in conjunction with the Engineering Open House scheduled for this weekend. The street will close beginning at 6 a.m. Friday and is expected to remain closed to traffic until 3 p.m. Saturday. Dropoff and pickup from University High School will still be available. The closure is to accommodate Engineering Open House scheduled for Friday and Saturday. For more information about the event, please visit http://eoh.ec.illinois.edu/. The University of Illinois Police Department thanks drivers for their patience and willingness to use alternate routes during this closure.
Safety notices generate discussion on campus sexual assault
URBANA — Sexual assault is a significant concern on college campuses across the country, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is no exception. This month, the University of Illinois Police Department issued three Campus Safety Notices informing the campus community of three sexual assault incidents. The mass emails prompted a number of questions about awareness and prevention efforts, arrest rates and about the notices themselves. “Sexual assault is one of the most critical threats to campus safety, and it’s something we take very seriously,” said U. of I. Police Chief Jeff Christensen. “Part of the value of these notices is to [...]
Getting to know Telecommunicator Alisha Funkhouser-Walker
We had 11 questions for Telecommunicator Alisha Funkhouser-Walker in our ongoing series to get to know Division of Public Safety staff. How long have you worked for the Division of Public Safety? A little over 3 1/2 years as a telecommunicator. What's a typical day like for you? Each day can be a little different from the next. I'm one of the first people you talk to at the department. If you have a question and call into Public Safety, it's a big possibility that you are talking to me. A typical day includes answering phones, making phone calls, monitoring [...]