U. of I. Police introduces newest lieutenants
URBANA – U. of I. Police made two high-level promotions this week as it continues looking for the best ways to handle the evolution of the department. U. of I. Police Chief Jeff Christensen announced that sergeants John Brown and Joan Fiesta will move into new positions as lieutenants. Lt. Brown is now in charge of first shift and special events, and Lt. Fiesta oversees support services. Lt. Brown started his career with UIPD in 1990 as a police officer. Over the years, he has served as a field-training officer, a narcotics investigator, a Metropolitan Emergency Tactical Response Operations team [...]
Officers and community members recognized for service
CHAMPAIGN – Officer Jason Bradley is being honored as the University of Illinois Police Department’s officer of the year for his persistence in making the campus community a safer place. Bradley was nominated and selected by a committee of his peers as the Ralph F. Hamlin Officer of the Year. In addition to earning the department’s top individual award, he also earned three merit awards for specific incidents in which he was involved during the past year. On June 14, 2014, the driver of a vehicle Bradley had stopped for speeding fled on foot. Not only did Bradley and a [...]
Captains bring experience, perspective to new roles
URBANA – The University of Illinois Police Department on Sunday will make two high-level promotions to fill spots left vacant by a retirement and an overall reorganization of the department. Lieutenants Anthony Brown and Matt Myrick will move into new positions as Captains. The two have been with UIPD for more than 20 years each, and Police Chief Jeff Christensen said they each bring a vast amount of experience and knowledge into their new roles. Brown started as a police officer in 1989 and will begin Sunday as Captain of Administration. He has served as a field-training officer, SWAT commander [...]
Area police assemble street crimes task force
https://youtu.be/mOIarrEL_gQ CHAMPAIGN – Police agencies in Champaign County are joining up to address the increase in gun violence across the area. While overall crime in the area is down, gun violence has increased in Champaign-Urbana and its surrounding communities. Law enforcement leaders on Tuesday announced they have assembled a street crimes task force with representation from various agencies to focus on preventing gun violence and reducing the number of illegal guns on the street. That task force will comprise eight police officers from the Champaign, Urbana and University of Illinois police departments and the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office. The group [...]
Q&A: Illini-Alert and how UIPD informs campus of emergencies
Public safety officials on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus have an enormous responsibility when it comes to informing people about emergencies. Getting out tens of thousands of emails and text messages when there may be only seconds to spare is no small task. Early Saturday morning, police issued a series of Illini-Alerts after a shooting was reported at an apartment near campus in the 800 block of South Locust Street, Champaign. A large group of people had gathered to celebrate a high school graduation. One person was hurt in the shooting and was treated for non-life threatening injuries. [...]