NIU advertises a reliable text alert system to keep students informed of urgent information. Unfortunately, this system is rarely used, and most incidents around campus are spread by notifications that students don’t see immediately (emails, NIU Today, etc.).

Just this year, we have had two events that presented a potential hazard to students off-campus. First, there was the recent shooting on Edgebrook Drive that occurred during an early weekend morning when many students were around the immediate area.

Most probably didn’t know the potential danger until much later that day. Much more recently, there was the attempted robbery that resulted in NIU Police advising students (who may live near the incident) to temporarily avoid that area.

All of these incidents did not pose an immediate threat to the campus population (justification for text alerts), but they did pose a potential danger to students who need immediate information about potential hazards. How many students wander into these potentially dangerous areas without knowing there was an advisory sent to their email?

I believe that the student body’s perception of NIU’s safety is challenged when they learn about potentially dangerous situations in their vicinity hours after the advisories are cancelled. The reason we have these advisory alerts is because staying informed and staying safe go hand in hand.

Thus, I believe it’s time NIU police increase text alerts for selective advisories. They don’t have to do this for every single crime, but a little discretion goes a long way.

Mike Theodore

junior political science major

SA Senate Candidate