NIU officials are brainstorming to make the residence halls safer at night.

Housing officials are trying different ways to make the residence halls more secure without substantially increasing costs, said Linda Tillis, assistant director of Student Housing Services.

“Some things—like hiring more people at the desk—cost more money. This is budget time, so it’s time to brainstorm ideas,” she said.

Officials have blamed students’ weekend visitors for incidents ranging from the mugging of a pizza delivery person to the battery of a Douglas Hall door guard.

In order to make the residence halls more secure, check-in desks at Lincoln and Douglas halls were moved from the wing entrances to the center of the lobbies in mid-October, Tillis said.

Don Buckner, associate vice president of Student Affairs, said students have not complained significantly about moving the desks.

“We made this change in an effort to make sure all visitors are guests of people living there,” Tillis said.

But adding another door guard also might help solve some of the problems at Lincoln and Douglas, Buckner added. However, if one eight-hour, seven-day shift was added, it would cost NIU more than $3,000 a semester, he said.