Secretary of State helps launch first-of-its-kind state ID program for inmates exiting Cook County Jail
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart says pilot program is 15 years in the making.
Police say 3 dead, fourth wounded and shooter also dead in University of Nevada, Las Vegas attack
The shootings sent shock waves through a city still scarred by the deaths of 60 people in a 2017 attack by a gunman at the Mandalay Bay casino, only a few miles away on the famous Strip.
Urbana City Council delays decision to hire more police officers, facing resident pushback
URBANA — Urbana Police Chief Larry Boone asked the Urbana City Council Monday night to amend the budget to hire four additional police officers. The Council deferred the decision until a national consulting firm hired by the department releases a report with staffing recommendations. Boone requested $569,198 to fund four new positions, including a Deputy…
House expels New York Rep. George Santos. It’s just the sixth expulsion in the chamber’s history
On Friday, most of the Illinois delegation voted to Rep. George Santos (R-NY) from Congress. However, Republicans Mike Bost and Mary Miller vote no. Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL) voted present.
People incarcerated at Champaign County Jail will get two free phone calls a day, starting next year
CHAMPAIGN — The Champaign County Sheriff has selected a new company to offer phone and video calls at the Champaign County Jail. The new company — Consolidated Telecom, Inc. — will offer two free phone calls to each resident per day. The new contract is set to begin on Feb. 15, 2024, according to the Request…
Urbana Police will consider hiring non-police staff for mental health, domestic violence calls
URBANA — The Urbana Police Department hired a national consulting firm this year to evaluate how the department works, including how — and if — officers should handle certain types of calls for service. The firm, BerryDunn, has worked with police departments throughout the U.S. to evaluate their processes and offer recommendations. One consideration is…
State Supreme Court weighs constitutionality of lifetime restrictions on child sex offenders
Decades after conviction, man says limits on where he can live serve no valid purpose.
New documents show Rantoul Police Department cleared main officers of wrongdoing in 2023 fatal shootings
This story is part of a partnership focusing on police misconduct in Champaign County between the Champaign-Urbana Civic Police Data Project of the Invisible Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit public accountability journalism organization, and IPM Newsroom, which provides news about Illinois & in-depth reporting on Agriculture, Education, the Environment, Health, and Politics, powered by Illinois Public…
Inside Illinois’ youth lockups, children go without basic services and face “excessive” punishment
State audits point to troubling conditions in juvenile detention centers, but no agency has strong enough oversight to bring about change.
Emails reveal UIPD’s plan to use surveillance to monitor campus crime in real time
CHAMPAIGN — The University of Illinois Police Department has requested nearly a million dollars in federal funding to open a real-time crime center. The center would enable police officers to receive more information from a growing number of surveillance methods while responding to incidents, according to UIPD spokesperson Pat Wade. If the real-time operators find…
Judge chides Trump as ex-president testifies in civil fraud trial: ‘This is not a political rally’
State Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engeron also said “we don’t have time to waste” and that “we have one day to do this.” The comments came in response to answers that the judge said he considered irrelevant to the case and repetitive.
U of I student injured in shootout in Campustown, shooters at large
A student at the U of I was injured after a shootout around 4:20 a.m. on Sunday.
Law enforcement official tells Associated Press that Maine mass killing suspect has been found dead
A law enforcement official tells The Associated Press that Robert Card is believed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Maine’s governor Janet Mills says 18 people were killed and 13 were injured in shootings in Lewiston
Police were searching for the man who opened fire at two locations in the Maine town.
Recovering from attack that killed Illinois boy, Palestinian American mother urges prayers for peace
Authorities say the family’s suburban Chicago landlord singled them out because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the escalating Israel-Hamas war.