Crimes on campus follow a pattern

Crimes against people in the area in and around the University of Illinois occur most often early in the morning, mostly on the weekends and mostly northwest of the campus.

Kris Fitzpatrick, interim chief for UI police, said, "It is true that the 'bad guys' will strike where they believe no one is around or when they see someone who can easily be taken by surprise."

Reported crimes and attempts from UI, Champaign and Urbana within the campus area showed most occurred between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., including 25 aggravated assaults and batteries, 14 criminal sexual assaults and 35 robberies last school year.

The report, compiled by the UI Division of Public Safety using police reports from the UI, Champaign and Urbana, shows crimes in the UI reporting district declined for the 2006-07 school year, compared with the previous school year.

The crime district covers the area from University Avenue to Windsor Road and from Race Street in Urbana to the railroad tracks east of Neil Street in Champaign.

The data, collected since the early 1980s, includes crimes and attempts for aggravated assaults and batteries, rape, robberies, homicides and other sex crimes.

The data for the school year just ended was consistent with prior reports, showing crimes concentrated in areas near the campus, rather than on UI property.

As in the past, the crimes most frequently were reported in the northwest quadrant – an area in Champaign roughly including the area between University Avenue and Gregory Drive and between Wright Street and the railroad tracks.

The 2006-07 crime district data showed once again that alcohol was a factor in many of the reported crimes, with alcohol use by victims listed in 15 of the assaults and batteries, 11 of the rape or attempted rape cases and three of the robberies.

The data also showed that alcohol use by suspects was a factor in 13 of the assault and battery cases and five of the rape incidents.

Beginning with 2005 crime data reports, the aggravated assaults and batteries now count only crimes involving substantial bodily injury, a weapon or both. Previously, the UI counted incidents that involved minor injuries to victims, police or both. The change puts the UI in line with crime reporting by peer institutions.