Dear campus community member:

As we start the semester, we would like to take a moment to remind you of some tips and resources for keeping yourself and your property safe. We have a very safe campus. However, no community is entirely free of crime.

In the past several weeks, a higher than usual number of burglaries to residences and vehicles have been reported to the Champaign Police Department in areas close to campus. In the majority of these cases, the offender accessed the vehicle or residence through an unlocked door.

We need your assistance to prevent these crimes. Thieves seek opportunities to access your personal property by looking for unlocked doors. The best way to prevent property crime is to lock doors at all times. Always lock up your apartment, residence hall rooms, vehicles and bicycles. Valuables like wallets, cellphones and backpacks should always be kept out of sight and never left unattended in public places like libraries or gyms.

In addition to locking your doors and securing your valuables, it is important to remember some general tips for keeping yourself safe:

• Always walk in groups, and use well-lit, high traffic routes. Call SafeWalks at 217-333-1216 if you need a Student Patrol escort when traveling at night.
• Do not allow people to follow you into secure locations. If someone tries to follow you into your residence hall or apartment building, request that they use their own key or swipe card to gain entry.
• Trust your instincts, and report any unusual or suspicious activity. Even small pieces of information can prevent a crime and help protect yourself and others.
• State law and university procedures provide amnesty for 9-1-1 callers. If you or someone else is in need of emergency assistance, neither the caller nor the person in need will be cited for underage liquor violations.

The University of Illinois Police Department and surrounding law enforcement agencies work hard to keep campus safe. However, we cannot do it alone. We need your help to look out for yourselves and each other. Thank you for being an active participant in the safety of our community, and we wish you a safe and wonderful fall semester.

Sincerely,

Craig A. Stone
Executive Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police