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Sent: 2015-09-22
From: Adam Due, Chief - University Police Department
To: Employees, Students, Various Recipients

Subject: Letter to the EIU Community

<p>Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,</p><p>Over the last week, multiple robberies have been reported by members of our campus community.&nbsp; This is uncharacteristic of our community and of great concern to both the University and the City of Charleston.</p><p>The University Police Department (UPD) and Charleston Police Department (CPD) work together as a team to keep our community safe, with the UPD patrolling on campus and the CPD patrolling off campus.&nbsp; Our departments are working very closely to solve this past week&rsquo;s crimes.&nbsp; The UPD patrols our campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.&nbsp; Officers patrol on foot, on bicycles, and in cars.&nbsp; Most officers are in uniform, but some are in plain clothes.&nbsp; Last week, we increased the foot patrol of Eastern&rsquo;s officers to increase the presence of officers in less traveled areas and to allow officers to see and hear more than they can in cars.&nbsp; EIU also utilizes approximately 650 cameras for safety and security purposes.</p><p>When incidents occur that may pose a threat to the health or safety of our campus community, we share that information through email and/or text messages.&nbsp; The information that is shared in those messages may be limited for a variety of reasons.&nbsp; The amount of information shared with police is sometimes limited.&nbsp; In some cases, victims don&rsquo;t see the suspect or are unable to give a description of the suspect; in other cases, victims and witnesses may give conflicting descriptions of suspects.&nbsp; At times, a description that is given by a victim or witnesses is so vague that it does not help to narrow the field of possible suspects.&nbsp; The email and/or text messages are sent in an effort to heighten the awareness of members of the campus community and to remind individuals to exercise safety precautions.</p><p>The UPD has been asked if this past week&rsquo;s incidents involved the use of weapons.&nbsp; None of the robberies that occurred this past week have been classified as armed robberies.</p><p>The most recent incident, which occurred yesterday near the basketball courts at 4th Street and Roosevelt, was dispatched as a robbery but was reclassified as a theft.&nbsp; It involved juveniles stealing the unattended property of individuals playing on the basketball courts.&nbsp; Two individuals were apprehended.&nbsp;</p><p>The suspects involved in one case might or might not be involved in multiple cases.&nbsp; The UPD and the CPD continue to work diligently together to bring closure to each of these crimes.&nbsp; We are confident that we will be able to restore the sense of calm and security that is familiar to our community.</p><p>At all times, please remember to exercise good judgment, take care of one another, and report any suspicious activity as soon as possible.</p><p>Sincerely,</p><p>Adam Due<br />Chief, University Police Department</p>