NIU released its Annual Safety and Security Report, containing crime statistics and safety information for each of its campuses. Compared to 2017, NIU’s DeKalb campus reported 58 fewer criminal offenses in 2018, dropping from 303 in 2017 to 245 in 2018, according to the report.

Yearly statistics are calculated over a calendar year, not academic year.

None of NIU’s other campuses have reported crimes for the past three years.

There was a decrease in robberies, aggravated assaults and burglaries, from 27 total in 2017 to 18 in 2018. Of those 18, 15 were reported on campus.

There was an increase in reported rape, from 10 in 2017 to 16 in 2018. Of those 16, 13 were reported on campus.

Crimes classified as violence against women rose by 18 reports, from 35 in 2017 to 52 in 2018. There were no cases of domestic violence reported in 2017, while 2018 saw seven reports, all of which were on campus. Of the total 52 cases, five were reported off campus.

There were four arrests related to weapons and two judicial referrals for weapons. A judicial referral is reported when a student is referred to Student Conduct for a legal violation.

There were eight fewer alcohol-related arrests in 2018, dropping from 19 in 2017 to 11 in 2018. There were 47 fewer alcohol-related judicial referrals, from 147 in 2017 to 100 in 2018.

The full report contains information about safety resources around campus and safety tips for students.

The university recommends using the NIU Safe App, available in the Apple Store or Google Play store, according to the report. The app has NIU Police Department safety alerts and safety features like friend walk, which sends a user’s GPS location to a friend, allowing them to track their progress and ensure they arrive safely at their destination.