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Eastern Illinois University Police

Crime Prevention

Since May 5, 2021 the Eastern Illinois University Police Department has received four reports of vehicles stolen from the EIU campus. All four have been recovered. In three of these cases, police have confirmed the vehicles were left unlocked with the keys in the passenger compartment. The fourth vehicle was unlocked, and a spare key may have been left in the passenger compartment.

A suspect, Alexander Fritz, was identified and arrested for the thefts of the first two vehicles. He was ultimately sentenced to 10 years in prison. The other two thefts remain under investigation.

The EIU Police Department would like to remind everyone to take an extra couple of seconds and secure your valuables. Thefts are commonly crimes of opportunity and can be prevented with the use of a lock. Please lock your vehicle and your residence, even if you are only going to be away for a few moments.

Please report any suspicious activities to police right away. EIUPD can be reached at 217-581-3212 for non-emergency calls. In the event of an emergency, dial 911.

General

  1. Be aware!  Recognize your vulnerability.
  2. Report all suspicious persons, vehicles and activities to the University Police Department immediately, by using any campus emergency phone or by dialing 911 from any campus phone.
  3. Use the "buddy system" and watch out for your neighbor.
  4. Keep your door locked when you nap or go to bed for the night.
  5. Report lights that are out and any hazardous conditions immediately.
  6. If you see someone being victimized, get involved and notify the Police Department.
  7. Remember the location of the emergency phones. 

Walking

  1. Avoid traveling alone at night.
  2. Confine walking to well-lit, regular traveled walks and pathways. Avoid shortcuts and keep away from shrubbery, bushes, alleyways, or any other areas where an assailant might be lurking.
  3. Avoid the athletic fields after dark.
  4. Do not accept rides from casual acquaintances.
  5. When walking to your vehicle or residence, have your keys ready in hand.  Interlace your keys in your fist.
  6. When being dropped of by taxi or private vehicle, ask the driver to  wait until you get inside.
  7. If threatened by an approaching vehicle, run in the opposite direction. The vehicle will have to turn around in order to pursue you.
  8. When getting out of a car, take a look around to make sure that you are not being followed.
  9. If you think you are being followed, cross the street and, if necessary, keep crossing back and forth.  If you are pursued run to a campus building, business, residence, enlist the aid of a passerby, flag down a passing motorist, or as a last resort pull a fire alarm. Do anything that might attract attention or summon assistance.  If you are walking alone and someone passes you, check to make sure that person has continued to walk in the other direction.
  10. Carry a loud whistle, this will draw attention to your position if assailed.

Resources

RAINN's Top 10 Spring Break Tips

  1. Get to know your surroundings before you go out and learn a well-lit route back to your hotel or rental property.
  2. Always carry emergency cash and keep phone numbers for local cab companies handy.
  3. Form a buddy system with close friends and agree on a secret "butt in" signal for uncomfortable situations.
  4. Trust your instincts. If you feel unsafe in any situation, go with your gut.
  5. Avoid being alone or isolated with someone you don't know and trust.
  6. Don't accept drinks from people you don't know and trust.
  7. Never leave your drink unattended, and if you do lose sight of it, get a new one.
  8. Always watch your drink being prepared.
  9. Try to buy drinks in bottles, which are harder to tamper with than cups or glasses.
  10. Avoid putting music headphones in both ears so that you can be more aware of your surroundings, especially if you are walking alone.

How Identity Theft Occurs

  1. They steal wallets and purses containing your identification and credit/bank cards.
  2. They steal your mail, including your bank statements, pre-approved credit offers, new checks, and tax information.
  3. They complete a "change of address kit" to divert your mail to another location.
  4. They rummage through your trash, or the trash of businesses, for personal data in a practice known as "dumpster diving".
  5. They find personal information in your home.
  6. They use personal information you share on the internet.
  7. They scam you, often through email, by posing as legitimate companies or government agencies you do business with.

Jury Duty Scam

Most of us take those summons for jury duty seriously ..a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced. The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your cSocial Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo, your identity was just stolen. The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado .. This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system. The FBI and the Federal Court System have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

Be Aware of Terrorist Activity

We urge the campus community to go about their business and leisure activities as usual. Due to the current heightened security alert, we would also urge you to report happenings or activities that you realistically suspect may be linked to terrorist related crime. Call the University Police at 581-3212 or report in person at 7th & Grant on the EIU campus east of the MLK Jr. University Union.


Related Pages

Contact Information

Eastern Illinois University Police Department

7th & Grant
600 Lincoln Ave.
Charleston, IL 61920
For emergencies call 911
Non-Emergency Dispatch – 217-581-3212
Police Records & Administration – 217-581-3213

police@eiu.edu

Eastern Illinois University Police Parking

Parking Services – 217-581-5416
parking@eiu.edu


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