Police in the Twin Cities say the number of incidents they've been called to along Constitution Trail are on the decline.
Officers in Normal responded to a battery along the trail July 13, but Police Chief Rick Bleichner said the trail is safe.
“There are thousands that travel the trail every day. It’s very well-traveled,” Bleichner said. “It’s a very popular recreational trail, so given the volume and the distance, we certainly have not seen any patterns of unsafe acts there.”
Police in Normal have responded to six incidents along the trail this year, two of them were batteries. Officers made an arrest in one case. Bleichner said one incident was an indecent exposure and other others involved bike thefts or a crash.
Bleichner said the department averages about 15 incidents along the trail in recent years.
Bleichner said the recent incident appears to be isolated and such occurrences on the trial are rare, but he recommended being alert at all times, staying off your phone and staying off the trail when it's dark.
“The things that make the trail beautiful during the course of the day, the fact that it’s tree lined, that it’s secluded in some areas and peaceful, also could make it potentially dangerous if you are there at 2 o’clock in the morning.”
The trail opens one hour before sunrise and closes one hour after sunset.
Bloomington Police said they've not had any incidents reported along the trail this year.
The trail, which opened 30 years ago, spans 37 miles throughout Bloomington-Normal.
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