EAST PEORIA, Illinois – The University of Illinois Police Department has been recognized as the top department in the state for responding to mental health-related emergencies. At its annual Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) conference in June, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) presented U. of I. Police Chief Alice Cary with the 2023 award for CIT Department of the Year. The award comes as UIPD’s Response, Evaluation and Crisis Help (REACH) initiative has been active for about two years now, with hundreds of campus community members served. REACH is a true co-responder model, with Crisis Responders and [...]

URBANA, Illinois – A life-saving drug is becoming publicly available for emergency use throughout campus through the work of the Division of Public Safety’s Emergency Management team.

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois — The Division of Public Safety's secondary office on Green Street is featuring a Gun Violence Awareness Month message for April. Team ENOUGH Illini, a Registered Student Organization, completed the design and installation. The Division of Public Safety partners with campus organizations to feature public safety-related messages on the front of its office at 505 E. Green St., Champaign. The area is a popular spot for students. The prevention of gun violence, especially in the Campustown area, is a focal point for the University of Illinois Police Department throughout the year. The department has introduced new technology to [...]

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois — The Division of Public Safety's secondary office on Green Street is featuring a Sexual Assault Awareness Month message for April. The Women's Resources Center completed the design and installation. The Division of Public Safety partners with campus organizations to feature public safety-related messages on the front of its office at 505 E. Green St., Champaign. The area is a popular spot for students. Sexual assault is a significant concern across the nation, particularly on college campuses. National surveys estimate that one in five women will experience sexual assault in college. We have to do better, and it's [...]

URBANA, Illinois — Shaniece Cooper’s weekly class at Urbana Middle School doesn’t teach math or history. It teaches positivity and community. “We have a curriculum, but we’re at the point where they tell us what they want to learn,” she said. Cooper is the Juvenile Engagement Coordinator at the University of Illinois Police Department, and she also coordinates the department’s involvement in the Police Athletics/Activities League (PAL). The goal of PAL is to bridge the gap between law enforcement and young members of the community. Cooper has been visiting Urbana Middle School every Tuesday since September, when the PAL program [...]