University of Illinois Police Department Launches COMMUNITY CONNECT Program to Enhance Public Safety
URBANA, Illinois - The University of Illinois Police Department today announced the official launch of its latest public safety initiative, the COMMUNITY CONNECT Program, powered by Axon Fusus. This Real-Time Information Center Cloud platform is designed to provide critical, actionable information that can assist the department in investigations, improves emergency response times and strengthens community safety. As part of this initiative, residents and business owners can voluntarily register their security cameras with the police department through a secure online portal. By participating, they help create a real-time map of available cameras that can be used to locate potential evidence, reducing [...]
UPDATED: Lincoln Avenue closed after traffic crash
Update (May 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.): This news release has been updated to reflect that the motorcyclist later died from injuries sustained in the crash. URBANA, Illinois - University of Illinois Police officers were dispatched to the 2300 block of South Lincoln Avenue in Urbana around 12:30 p.m. for a motor vehicle crash with injuries. Upon arrival, officers observed a motorcycle and an SUV with apparent damage. The driver of the SUV was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The motorcyclist was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died. Illinois State Police is [...]
UIPD, Urbana Police formalize overnight LEADS agreement
URBANA, Illinois – The University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD) has entered an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Urbana to provide overnight access to the Urbana Police Department’s (UPD) Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS). LEADS is a secure, statewide database that provides law enforcement officials with access to a wide range of criminal justice information systems, including Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), Illinois Secretary of State records, the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS), FBI data and more. LEADS terminals are required to be staffed and operated 24 hours a day, and [...]
Early morning armed robbery prompts Illini-Alert notification
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois – An early morning armed robbery in Campustown prompted an Illini-Alert notification. University of Illinois Police officers were dispatched to Taco Bell, 512 E Green St., Champaign, around 1:05 a.m. Tuesday, April 21, for reports of an armed robbery. Officers arrived on scene within one minute and learned that a man had allegedly brandished a weapon while attempting to steal food from the restaurant before fleeing the area. Responding officers searched the immediate area but were unable to locate the suspect, prompting a campuswide Illini-Alert emergency notification sent to all students, faculty, and staff. Following the on-scene investigation, [...]
University Police arrest man for aggravated battery, reckless driving
URBANA, Illinois – A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student was arrested late Thursday night for aggravated battery, reckless driving and disobeying a stop sign. At 10:35 p.m., Thursday, April 16, University of Illinois Police Department officers were dispatched to the intersection of East John Street and South Fifth Street in Champaign for a crash involving a vehicle and a bicycle. Once on scene, officers observed a damaged bicycle near the intersection and a heavily damaged vehicle in the bushes near the intersection. After reviewing security camera footage and speaking to witnesses on scene, officers learned the vehicle struck a juvenile [...]
