U of I police taking proactive steps to prevent gun violence in campus areas | Top Stories


CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) – University of Illinois police said gun violence increased off campus during the 2020-21 school year in a report detailing the events of the year. 

U of I Police Chief Alice Cary said there were no gun violence incidents on campus property, but noted police realize the campus area is “not immune to off-campus issues.” She said police are taking proactive steps to prevent violence on campus, such as increased patrols and looking at technological tools, such as mobile security cameras. 

“Our students and community members should notice an increase in visible police patrols in areas of Campustown that may be more likely to be impacted by violent crime,” Cary said. 

There were few students and staff on campus in the 2020-21 year, police said, so calls for service were down by over 37 percent from the 2018-19 year, which was the last time students were on the U of I campus for the full academic year. 

There were only four alcohol-related citations for the entire 2020-21 year, police said in the Year in Review report, and all of them were for illegal transportation of liquor. In three of the four cases, the driver was also taken into custody for driving under the influence of alcohol. 

No underage drinking or possession citations were issued in 2020-21, U of I police said. 

Click here to see the entire year in review report from police. 

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