Bloomington-Normal crime report 3/30-4/3

NORMAL, Ill. – Spring has arrived, bringing warmer weather and rain, and coinciding with a decrease in crime in Bloomington-Normal and on Illinois State University’s campus.

The season also marks the approach of graduation for many ISU seniors. Large events such as commencement, football games and homecoming parades require detailed planning by the university’s emergency management team.

Eric Hodges, director of emergency management at Illinois State University, said extensive preparation goes into each major event.

“We’ll write a specific 25- to 30-page plan for each football game. On game day, we conduct public safety briefings in the Emergency Operations Center, so everyone working the game receives the same information. During the game, we’re here responding to calls for service,” Hodges said.

Hodges said this level of preparation is designed to create a safe environment for students, staff and faculty.

“We’re responsible for coordinating the institution’s response before, during and after significant incidents or large planned events,” he said. “We spend most of our time on the front end — training, preparedness, writing plans and outreach.”

One of the most important tools for emergency management is the university’s alert system, which quickly notifies the campus of potential or active threats.

“There are three different kinds of messages we can send out. An emergency alert is used if people need to take immediate action. If a situation is not imminent, we can issue crime advisories or community updates, which are handled by the police department,” Hodges said.

These alerts are reserved for serious, potentially life-threatening situations.

More information about emergency alerts is available on the Safe Redbirds app.