Public safety officials hope to avoid issues with marijuana in the new semester
URBANA, Ill. – As students return to campus for the first time in 2020, the University of Illinois Police Department is clearing the air about marijuana possession and use on school grounds. Although the state of Illinois has legalized recreational use of marijuana for individuals 21 and older, federal prohibitions on marijuana remain in effect for all colleges and universities which receive federal funds. That means all forms of marijuana remain illegal on campus property. Additionally, smoking marijuana on university property violates the Smoke- and Tobacco-Free Campus policy. “We do not want anyone to end up in trouble simply for [...]
UIPD chief accepts new position; interim chief to be appointed
URBANA, Ill. – The University of Illinois Police Department will undergo a transition in leadership over the next few months after Executive Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Craig Stone announced Thursday that he has accepted a position and will be returning to Columbus, Ohio. Chief Stone has been at the helm of the University Police Department since June 2018. His last day will be Jan. 15. Deputy Chief Matt Myrick will be appointed as the interim executive director of public safety while campus leaders initiate a national search for a permanent department head. Myrick previously served as [...]
Two officers graduate from police academy
URBANA, Ill. — The University of Illinois Police Department is welcoming two new police officers. Officers Rachel Bishop and Kennedy Hartman graduated on Thursday from the University of Illinois Police Training Institute. They will begin field training in January, during which time they will be paired with training officers who will spend several months helping them to further refine their skills and abilities. Officer Hartman obtained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Webster University in St. Louis and attended Parkland College. In addition, she played basketball at Webster and Parkland. She attended Unity High School. Officer Bishop has previously worked as a [...]
UIPD officer arrested for official misconduct
URBANA, Ill. – University of Illinois Police Officer Jerald Sandage was arrested Friday for seven counts of official misconduct which occurred between February 2017 and January 2018. The arrest warrant was issued by a Champaign County judge Friday, and Sandage turned himself in to the Piatt County Jail. Official misconduct is a Class 3 felony. The preliminary charges resulted from an investigation into Sandage’s conduct on- and off-duty as a police officer. The charges involve Sandage’s misuse of law enforcement databases and security cameras to seek personal information about women on and off the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. [...]
UIPD ready to respond to mental health crises
https://youtu.be/jS_VSwUvGyQ If this video does not load, click here to play in YouTube. URBANA, Ill. — The University of Illinois Police Department’s specially trained crisis intervention officers are available 24/7 to assist anyone who might be experiencing mental health emergencies. UIPD responds to as many as 180 mental health-related calls per year, and the frequency of reported mental health crises on college campuses has been increasing. UIPD’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) is specially trained to recognize mental health conditions, use conversation to remove some of the tension from those situations and provide the appropriate resources to the person in need. “It’s [...]