Last night and early this morning, the university issued public safety alerts to report that two robberies and a battery had occurred on our Lincoln Park Campus between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Unfortunately, these crimes involved our DePaul students. We are taking action at DePaul and with the City of Chicago to address ongoing challenges the city is facing with armed robberies. Last night and throughout the week, the city has experienced a spike in robbery crime sprees targeting individuals for their belongings.
As reported in the public safety alerts, two incidents happened at separate locations on our Lincoln Park Campus: the quad near Belden and Seminary, and at the intersection of Belden and Racine. In both cases, the offenders approached our students and demanded their belongings. In one incident, an offender displayed a weapon and struck a student with it. Public Safety responded immediately, and university staff are working with the students involved to make sure they are receiving care and support.
As immediate action steps:
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DePaul will increase its public safety presence on both campuses with additional security officers.
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The Chicago Police Department is increasing patrols around campus.
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We continue to engage with the City of Chicago — including, the mayor, police commander and elected officials — to advocate for additional resources to keep our community safe.
Chicago continues to grapple with criminal activity, including robberies throughout the city. Public Safety remains on heightened alert and is actively working with the Chicago Police Department to address these most recent incidents on campus. We are grateful for the strong relationship we have with the police and our elected officials, and we will continue to proactively work with them.
In light of the uptick the city is experiencing with robberies, we urge students to take extra steps to stay aware of your surroundings. As the local commander shared during our recent
Safety Summit, the majority of robberies citywide are occurring between midnight and 4 a.m. Especially during evening hours, students are encouraged to access DePaul’s safety resources.
The safety escort service is available on the Lincoln Park Campus from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., seven days a week. If you are out after dark, using this service is the best way to stay safe.
Keeping our university community safe is a top priority, and please know we take incidents like this extremely seriously.
Please continue to take care of yourself and take care of each other. Thank you for everything you do to Take Care DePaul.