NIU Logo Northern Illinois University
Department of Police and Public Safety

  1. NIU Department of Police and Public Safety
  2. Emergency Information
  3. Safety Notifications

Current NIU Safety Notifications

NIU Police and Public Safety provides information on crimes that have recently occurred in the campus area so that you may take the appropriate precautions. An NIU Safety Notification is issued in accordance with a federal law requiring colleges and universities to disclose information about crime in the vicinity of campus to both aid in the prevention of similar crimes and to assist in the identification of offenders.

NIU Safety Notifications are based on information that has been reported to Northern Illinois University Police and Public Safety. The reported information may not have been investigated or confirmed at the time the Safety Notification was issued. Safety Notifications may be delivered by NIU e-mail, NIU Safe app, social media, text and web when an incident occurs that should be brought to the immediate attention of the University community. Physical descriptions of a suspect, including race, are included in NIU Safety Notifications only when they provide several details that might help distinguish the suspect's appearance from the general population.

Notices will be published to this webpage the next business day. Please see the NIU PD Facebook page or the NIU PD X (Twitter) account for for the latest notifications.

Incident: Safety Warning - Thefts of Electric Scooters
Date Occurred: October 07, 2025
Location: Residence hall bike racks, academic buildings, and the Holmes Student Center
Details:

Multiple thefts of electric scooters (E-scooters) have recently been reported around campus (8/29/25 - 10/6/25). These thefts occurred at various locations including residence hall bike racks, academic buildings, and the Holmes Student Center.

In each reported incident, scooters were either left unsecured or secured with easily removable locks. The suspects in these cases have not yet been identified, and investigations are ongoing.

If you have any information related to the thefts or witness any suspicious activity, please get to a safe location and report it immediately to the NIU Department of Police and Public Safety at 815-753-1212, or the DeKalb Police Department at 815-748-8400. Witnesses may remain anonymous by calling 815-753-TIPS (8477). In an emergency, please call 911. Suspicious activity may also be reported through the NIU Safe App. The app is now available for download in the Apple Store and Google Play. See go.niu.edu/niusafe for more details about the app.

SAFETY TIPS and PREVENTION

To help prevent further incidents, the NIU Department of Public Safety recommends the following:

- Always secure your E-scooter using a high-quality U-lock or chain lock.
- Park in well-lit, designated scooter or bike areas.
- Report suspicious activity immediately to campus police at 815-753-1212.
- Consider using GPS tracking devices for high-value items like E-scooters.
- If your scooter is stolen, report it immediately to the NIU Department of Police and Public Safety and provide identifying information (make, model, serial number, color, etc.).
Safety Tips and Resources:

Our campus, our community. 

The Northern Illinois University campus is a safe one, but a large university campus and its surrounding community will not be crime free.  NIU and DeKalb Police and other partner law enforcement agencies work together to prevent crime and to quickly identify and arrest offenders when crime occurs.  You, too, play a very important role in keeping our campus and community safe. 

  • Be alert, and trust your instincts. Be aware of your surroundings.  If a situation doesn’t feel right, it probably isn't.  Contact police if something looks suspicious or out of place. Any information, no matter how small, can contribute to preventing a crime.
  • Watch out for each other. Don’t be a bystander. Call 911 immediately if you or someone else is in danger.
  • If you hear or see a fire alarm, leave the building immediately. Just because you cannot see flames or smoke does not mean you are safe – a fire or other hazard could be in another part of the building and rapidly spread to where you are.

Please take a moment to review the Campus Safety resources below to stay informed and keep yourself and others safe on and off campus.

Stay Safe
 Learn how to protect yourself from crime on and off campus.

Use Our Safety Services
 From transportation to safety classes, take advantage of the programs we have to protect your safety.

Read Our FAQs
 Get your questions answered about how NIU manages campus safety.

Report Your Concerns
 Report areas on campus that need attentions.

Emergency Information
 Subscribe to campus safety bulletins and find emergency information.
About Safety Bulletins: The Northern Illinois University campus is a safe one, but a large university campus and its surrounding community will not be crime free. NIU and DeKalb Police and other partner law enforcement agencies work together to prevent crime and to quickly identify and arrest offenders when crime occurs. You, too, play a very important role in keeping our campus and community safe.

NIU Safety Notifications are based on information that has been reported to Northern Illinois University Police and Public Safety. The reported information may not have been investigated or confirmed at the time the Safety Notification was issued. Safety Notifications will be issued via e-mail and posted to our website when an incident occurs that should be brought to the immediate attention of the university community. Physical descriptions of a suspect, including race, are included in NIU Safety Notifications only when they provide several details that might help distinguish the suspect's appearance from the general population. See more information on the types of notifications.


Archived Safety Notifications

Contact Us

In case of emergency: Call 911

Non-emergency phone number: 815-753-1212

Records: 815-753-9628

Department email: niupd@niu.edu

Records request email: niupdrecords@niu.edu 

Connect with us on