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 [...]
Public Safety hosts RTIC Media Day
URBANA, Illinois – The University of Illinois Division of Public Safety hosted a media day for the Real-Time Information Center (RTIC) to provide local news outlets with an opportunity to learn more about the RTIC and its capabilities. The RTIC enhances public safety operations by improving situational awareness, accelerating information sharing, supporting officer safety and assisting response coordination during incidents and major events. RTIC analysts provide operational support that helps officers and investigators make faster, more informed decisions in dynamic situations. The RTIC uses a combination of existing and new technologies, including security cameras, law enforcement databases, the Axon Fusus [...]
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, [...]