Update on Safety and Security Measures

APRIL 18, 2024 

The University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) is working with the Chicago Police Department to address crimes in our community, including investigating the armed robberies of three individuals that occurred on and near our campus on the afternoon of April 17. In addition to the ongoing work of apprehending suspects in these cases, UCPD and our Campus Safety Ambassadors have increased their presence in the area. A summary of these actions is available at the Department of Safety and Security Website. 

We also wanted to share important updates on previously announced steps being taken to enhance the safety and security of our campus and neighboring communities. While the overall number of robberies in our has decreased over the last year, we are continuing active measures to reduce crime, including:

  • Strategic Operations Center — UCPD is developing a strategic operations center to allow greater monitoring and analysis of crime and crime trends, and real-time adjustment of law enforcement resources.
    • UCPD has already implemented the first stage of this work and it is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year.
    • The Strategic Operations Center has already helped to solve crimes by analyzing footage from University security and license plate readers to assist the Chicago Police Department in determining robbery patterns. In some cases this allows UCPD to respond within minutes if a vehicle involved in a crime enters the area. This technology helped UCPD in apprehending suspects believed to have been involved in robberies that occurred in 2023.
    • UCPD is also using data to strategically place officers in specific locations to decrease crime.
  • Security Technology — In 2022 the University donated $3 million to install additional security technology in UCPD’s extended patrol area. Since the Autumn Quarter, a total of 70 new cameras and license plate readers have been installed at 47 different locations throughout UCPD’s extended patrol area. This technology is crucial to respond to robbery incidents quickly and has resulted in the apprehension of multiple suspects involved in crimes near campus.
  • Transportation Initiatives — As part of our efforts to enhance the UGo shuttle system and in response to campus community feedback, we have migrated to a new GPS system, Passio GO! for more reliable real-time tracking of UGo Shuttles. Our transportation team has also processed 6,662 requests from students requesting their one-time Metra pass since the start of the 2023-2024 academic year. The Lyft Ride Smart program is available to students for seven free rides (up to $10 per ride) from 5 p.m. until 4 a.m. seven days a week. We continue to refine point-to-point transportation options and improve their integration within our other transportation services.
  • Victim Support — Enhancing support for victims of crimes is a high priority, and we have developed multiple resources for students and others who have been robbery victims or the victims of other crimes. UCPD has launched a dedicated Victims and Witnesses Services Unit to support victims by connecting them with resources such as counseling and victims’ compensation services, and to help answer questions about the court system process. UCPD also works in close collaboration with Deans-on-Call to provide support to students after a crime, including directing them to the Bursar’s Emergency Assistance Program that can help students recover from the theft of personal items crucial to their academic program, in addition to performing wellness checks and helping students in other emergency situations. The Dean-on-Call can also connect students to health and counseling resources, including after-hours resources, such as the therapist-on-call who is available 24 hours a day. To contact the Victim and Witnesses Services Unit, please call UCPD at 773-702-8181. 

You can find the various safety resources provided by the University by downloading the UChicago Safe mobile app. You can also follow UChicago Safe on Instagram, Facebook, and X for helpful and timely safety-related information.

Sincerely,

Michele Rasmussen, Dean of Students in the University

Kyle Bowman, Chief of Police, University of Chicago Police Department

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