Dear campus community member:
We are informing you of crimes that have recently occurred in the campus area so you have the information you need to take the appropriate precautions. This Campus Safety Notice is issued in accordance with a federal law requiring universities to disclose information about crime on or immediately adjacent to their campuses to aid in the prevention of similar crimes and to assist in the identification of offenders.
This message alone is not necessarily an indication that crime rates on campus have increased or that a pattern of crime has emerged. For a more comprehensive look at crime in your area, you can view the daily crime log.
The University of Illinois Police Department has received 4 reports from students regarding attempted motor vehicle thefts that occurred between April 16 and May 1 at 302 E. John St.(map) in Champaign:
It was reported that the vehicles had the rear window damaged and the steering columns were all tampered with. In addition to the attempted motor vehicle thefts, some of the vehicles were burglarized. The make of these vehicles were Kia and Hyundai.
While we do not have reason to believe these incidents present a threat to anyone’s physical safety, we felt it important to issue this notice in order to prevent similar crimes from occurring. Please keep your vehicle locked at all times, keep your property out of view, and report any suspicious activity you might have witnessed.
University Police officers are patrolling the campus area. More than 2,400 security cameras are posted around campus to deter crime and identify offenders.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the University Police at 217-333-1216. Witnesses may remain anonymous by calling Champaign County Crime Stoppers at 217-373-8477 (373-TIPS), by visiting 373tips.com or by providing information through the P3 Tips mobile app available on iOS and Android. All messages to Crime Stoppers are electronically stripped of identifying information and forwarded to police by an independent third party.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus is a very safe one, but a community of our size will never be crime-free. You play the most important role in keeping our campus community safe.
- Watch your belongings. Theft is the most common crime on college campuses everywhere, and ours is no exception. Lock up or secure your personal belongings whenever possible, even if they are sitting right next to you.
- Lock your doors. The easiest way to prevent theft and burglary is by locking the door to your vehicle or residence. Criminals often will look for an open door or window to steal your items.
- Hide it, or better yet, bring it with you. Do not leave valuables in plain sight, and never leave car keys with the vehicle. Make sure to hide valuables if you have to leave them in the car, or do not leave them in the car at all.
- Be alert, and trust your instincts. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Call police if something looks odd — we’re happy to assist, and even the smallest bit of information could prevent another crime.
- Promptly report crime or suspicious activity. It is more likely that police will be able to identify and apprehend offenders when crimes are reported immediately. Reporting crime or suspicious activity can help to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
If you become concerned about a friend or yourself as a result of this incident, the Connie Frank CARE Center can help. Staff in the CARE Center are available Monday through Friday between 8:30-5 p.m. Additionally, the Emergency Dean Program provides a university administrator who is on-call to assist in health or safety emergency situations that occur after business hours and require an immediate university response. Call 217-333-0050 to reach the SAC or the Emergency Dean. Additional information about these programs and others is available at odos.illinois.edu/community-of-care.
Please take a moment to review these resources we have made available to keep you informed: