Report crime promptly to police at call 312-355-5555 for emergencies or 312-996-2830 for non-emergencies. Be aware of your surroundings. Use all your senses to be alert for danger, and when walking alone, don’t wear headphones or earbuds. Don’t carry large sums of money or display valuables in public. Always use safe internet shopping practices. Use the UIC Police station front lobby as a Safe Exchange Zone to carry out legal swaps, sales or purchases on campus, as well as make child custody exchanges. The Safe Exchange Zone is clearly marked in the first-floor lobby of the UIC Police Station. Have keys ready and in your hand for immediate use when returning home. Don’t resist an armed robber, Hand over whatever is demanded quickly and quietly.
On Monday, Oct. 9, UIC Police responded to three reports of armed robberies off campus near the Illinois Medical District.
The first incident occurred at approximately 8:40 a.m. near 1700 W. Harrison St. The victims, two UIC students, were approached by two unknown males who exited a black Kia hatchback, Illinois registration DF53480. The males pointed firearms at the victims and demanded their property. The victims complied and the offenders entered the Kia, which was occupied by two more unknown males, and fled westbound. The offenders are described as males in their early 20s, approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall to 6 feet tall, wearing dark clothing and masks. The victims described the firearms as pistols with barrels which were longer than typical pistols.
The second incident occurred at approximately 8:50 a.m. near 2200 W. Congress Pkwy. The victim, a UIC employee, was approached by three unknown males, two of whom were armed with guns, who exited a black hatchback vehicle. One of the males struck the victim in the head with a gun and demanded the victim’s property. The victim complied and the offenders entered the vehicle and fled eastbound. The offenders are described as possibly teenagers, approximately 5 feet, 5 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall. The victim described the firearms as pistols with barrels which were longer than typical pistols.
The third incident occurred at approximately 9:00 a.m. near 800 S. Claremont Ave. The victims, who are not UIC affiliated, were approached by four unknown males who exited a black Kia hatchback, all of whom were armed with guns. One of the males struck a victim in the head with a gun and demanded the victims’ property. The victims complied and the offenders entered the vehicle and fled in an unknown direction. The offenders are described as males in their 20s, approximately 6 feet tall. The victims stated that three of the offenders brandished pistols and one offender displayed a rifle.
The Chicago Police Department will lead the investigations. Anyone with information should call 311.
Public safety advisories are distributed to the university community in compliance with the federal Clery Act. UIC Police may also issue notifications for off-campus crimes in the interest of public-safety awareness. Security tips are standard precautions, not special or incident-specific measures. Effective January 2021, the university will no longer routinely use race, ethnicity or national origin as a descriptor in public safety advisories. Updates to investigations are not sent by email but will be posted online at emergency.uic.edu/public-safety-advisory/
UIC Annual Security Report go.uic.edu/CleryReport
Chicago Police Department Statistics and Data home.chicagopolice.org/statistics-data/
Urgent notifications may be sent via both INSTANT TEXT MESSAGE (SMS) and URGENT mass e-mails. SMS messages — issued only in cases of immediate threat to health and safety, such as a tornado alert, or a major disruption to travel — are faster and more reliable than e-mail. The campus strongly recommends that you register your cell phone for SMS messages at sms.uic.edu