Dear campus community member:
We would like to inform you of a crime that has 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.
Within the past two weeks, three burglaries have been reported to Greek Residence Facilities in the campus area. In at least one of the instances, the building was left unsecured. There were no physical injuries reported at any of these separate incidents.
- Zeta Beta Tau, 907 S. Fourth St., Champaign, reported on Dec. 30.
- Alpha Chi Rho, 311 E. Armory Ave., Champaign, reported on Jan. 6.
- Psi Upsilon, 313 E. Armory Ave., Champaign, reported on Jan. 12.
While police do not have reason to believe these incidents present a threat to anyone’s physical safety, we felt it important to issue this notice to prevent similar crimes from occurring.
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.
- Do not allow strangers to follow you into your building. It may seem polite to hold the door for someone, but that often allows unauthorized people to enter. It is OK to ask someone to swipe their card to enter a residence hall.
- 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.
- Bring it with you. If you’re leaving campus for an extended period of time, bring your valuables with you. During school breaks, criminals will take advantage of an empty campus.
- 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 Student Assistance Center (SAC) can help. Staff in the SAC 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: