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Ballinger was hired as a police officer in 2004. During his nearly 20-year tenure at Illinois, he has served in multiple leadership ranks and several special units, including as METRO SWAT commander, an instructor on appropriate use-of-force techniques, and as a field training instructor for new officers.
A U. of I. student reported that he attempted to buy a $1,400 item he saw advertised on Facebook. He contacted the seller and agreed to send the money in three separate transactions through Zelle. The seller stopped communicating with the student after the money was sent.
A U. of I. student attempting to sublet an apartment received an email from an unknown person who said they would take the apartment. The unknown person sent the student a check for $3,850 to cover rent for the whole sublease period. The student deposited the check, and then the renter said they changed their […]
A U. of I. student reported that she received text messages from an unknown person who claimed that they had been hired to harm her. The unknown person sent the student a picture that the student previously had posted on social media, presumably in an attempt to legitimize the threat. The unknown person also sent […]
A U. of I. student reported that she was contacted by a person who claimed to be a Chinese Customs agent and that the student was implicated in a criminal conspiracy. The student was directed to create fake emails to disseminate to other people, and also to download applications on her electronic devices that would […]
A U. of I. student reported that he received a phone call in August from someone claiming that a package the student allegedly sent to China was stopped at Customs and was found to contain fake passports and credit cards. The student never sent a package. He was transferred to a second person claiming to […]
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois — Local police, including the University of Illinois Police Department, are holding a friendly competition as the holidays approach to put meals on the tables of local families. Departments are “competing” to see which can bring in the most food donations, all of which will go to the Eastern Illinois Foodbank. The University […]
A U. of I. student reported that she engaged in conversation with another person through an app described as “highly sexual in nature.” The conversation moved to Instagram, where intimate photos were exchanged. The offender then threatened to send the student’s photos for her social media contacts unless the student paid money. The student attempted […]
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois – A shooting at a large house party just off campus Sunday morning injured one U. of I. student and prompted an Illini-Alert emergency notification. At 4:20 a.m. Sunday, multiple 911 callers reported that shots had been fired outside of a large house party in the 600 block of South Third Street, Champaign. […]
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois – University Police are investigating after an attempted retail theft Thursday morning at an off-campus convenience store resulted in a store employee receiving non-life-threatening stab wounds. The incident prompted a campuswide Illini-Alert notification sent to all students, faculty and staff. Police initially were called at 3:53 a.m. Thursday by a store employee at […]