The rate of crimes on the University campus has dropped substantially after many students have left campus or remained inside during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Following spring break, the University transitioned to remote learning for classes and encouraged students to stay home or move out of the dorms. In addition, Illinois has been under a stay-at-home order since March 21, encouraging students and residents to stay inside.

“With most of the students now off-campus and most of our faculty and staff working remotely, we just don’t have the same population on campus,” said Pat Wade, communications director for the division of public safety at the University. “It’s kind of like a summer atmosphere. We see a bit less activity during the summer, and this time is similar.”

Wade said that University police are taking measures to protect against the spread of COVID-19 by adjusting staffing and schedules in order to lower exposure among officers and ensure that people remain healthy.

“It’s not something that the public is going to notice,” said Wade. “We’re still going to have officers out on the street patrolling; it’s more of an internal thing. Our officers are taking more care to wear personal protective equipment when interacting with the community.”

According to the daily crime log and the police blotter from the University police’s website, there have been few crimes on campus since remote education began. This significant drop is based on the first few weeks of the stay-at-home order, but the long-term effects are not definitively known.

One crime that is still present on campus is domestic abuse, which remains a concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“For many people this situation is fine, but we know that there are a lot of people out there who are experiencing domestic abuse situations or abusive relationships,” said Wade. “Those relationships, when you’re spending a lot of time together, become a lot more stressful. We’re trying to remind people that resources are still available and that they can seek help if they choose to do so.”

In addition to the police, community resources such as Courage Connection are available to provide assistance for domestic abuse victims.

The University continues to provide services such as SafeWalks for students and faculty who are on campus. Wade told residents to call 911 if they see a crime in progress or need an immediate response.

Reports of less severe crimes that don’t require immediate response, such as vandalism, are now being taken online at the police website or by calling 217-333-1216. 

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