Police warn against phone, internet scams
URBANA — U. of I. Police are reminding students and others to be on guard against potential scams that may come their way via the internet or phone after receiving several reports within the past few weeks. At least three students have reported being the victims of extortion schemes after being contacted online by people they do not know. The offenders lure the victims into a video chat and convince them to perform sexual acts on screen. The victims are unwittingly recorded performing those acts, and the offender later tells the victim that they will release the video unless they [...]
Mental health resources available to campus community
URBANA — As the beginning of a new school year can be stressful for students and others, university officials want to remind campus community members of the mental health resources available to anyone fighting depression and anxiety. The stresses of college life can have an impact on the mental wellness of students. According to the American College Health Association, each year, there are approximately 1,100 suicides on college campuses. About 6 percent of undergraduates and 4 percent of graduate students have seriously considered suicide in the last year. Of those, about half never told anyone they were having these feelings. [...]
Police remind campus of resources following sexual assault notices
URBANA — Following three Campus Safety Notices informing campus of sexual assault incidents early in the fall semester, the University of Illinois Police Department wants to remind students, faculty and staff of the resources available to anyone who has been affected by sexual violence. Sexual assault is a significant concern on college campuses across the country, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is no exception. National surveys estimate that 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men will experience sexual assault or attempted sexual assault during their undergraduate years. The university has made a number of reporting options available for [...]
U. of I. Police officer honored as ‘MADD Hero’
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Mothers Against Drunk Driving this weekend honored U. of I. Police Officer Ryan Snow with their Hero Award in recognition of his efforts to deter drunken driving in Champaign County. Snow was one of 28 officers in Illinois to receive the award. MADD noted that Snow has made more than 100 DUI arrests in six years with the University of Illinois Police Department. He made 33 DUI arrests last year alone. In 2015, Snow took extra training classes to become a certified Drug Recognition Expert, making him one of about 50 such experts in the state and the only [...]
Police dog Chewy’s first call nets sizable bust
https://youtu.be/7HH1vZqPbUk URBANA – K9 Officer Chewy’s very first call resulted in a sizable bust Tuesday night after the police dog helped U. of I. Police officers find more than 100 grams of cannabis and more than $5,000 in cash. Officers initially stopped a vehicle for disobeying a stop sign near Gregory and Dorner drives, Urbana, at 8:27 p.m. Tuesday, and they thought they may have smelled an odor of cannabis emanating from the car when they approached. The driver and the passenger denied having anything illegal in the car. Officers called in Chewy just to make sure. After sniffing around [...]