Police will increase campus patrols
CHAMPAIGN – University of Illinois and Champaign police are increasing patrols in the campus area following an armed robbery early Sunday morning.
According to a University of Illinois police report, a man was walking north on a sidewalk across from the intersection of White and Third streets at 3:15 a.m. when he was approached by another man.
The second man asked the pedestrian – where he could get some bud," according to UI Executive Director of Public Safety Barbara R. O'Connor.
The victim assumed the male subject meant cannabis when he asked for bud and told him no and continued to walk past the male subject," O'Connor said in an e-mail to university faculty, students and staff.
As the pedestrian continued to walk down the sidewalk, he felt a hard object pressed against his back. The second man told him, "Don't turn around, I have a gun. Give me everything you got," O'Connor said in the e-mail.
The man did not see a gun, but he described the hard object as circular in shape, similar to a gun.
The pedestrian gave the robber $26, and the robber ran off. The victim was not injured, according to O'Connor.
O'Connor described the robber as black, about 30 years old and about 6 feet tall. He was wearing a dark blue hooded sweatshirt, a white T-shirt and gray sweatpants and may have also been wearing a black skull cap under the hood of the sweatshirt. He weighed about 250 pounds and had a goatee.
Those with information about the robbery are asked to call the Champaign Police Department at 351-4545. Information may also be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers by calling 373-TIPS or going online to www.373tips.com.
In the e-mail to faculty, students and staff, O'Connor provided the following tips:
– Always keep your doors and windows locked.
– Trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable about someone near you on the street, in an elevator or getting off a bus, go to a populated place or yell for help.
– Use well-lit and busy sidewalks if possible.
– Avoid walking alone or walking near vacant lots, alleys, construction sites and wooded areas.
– Learn the locations of emergency phones on campus.
– Carry a cell phone, whistle or a personal alarm to alert people that you need help.
– Try to park in an area that will be well-lit and heavily traveled when you return.
– Lock your car doors and roll up the windows completely, even if you are only running a quick errand.
– Stay alert at all times and call the police immediately to report suspicious activity.
– Put the contact – ICE" (In Case of Emergency) in your cell phone with a name and telephone number of a loved one, to enable emergency services personnel to contact your family in the event of an emergency.
– Excessive volume or use of electronic devices (iPods, PDAs, cell phones, etc.) distracts you from being alert to potential safety issues. Unplug yourself and tune in to your immediate environment.
– Utilize the SafeWalks program, which is designed to provide a walking escort to any student between the hours of 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday (call 333-1216 to arrange a SafeWalk).
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