Students may have bundled up with a mug of hot chocolate during last week’s blizzard and subsequent frigid temperatures, but the NIU Police didn’t have that luxury.

“We had to deal with the cold and the wind just like everyone else,” said Sgt. Alan Smith of the NIU Police.

Smith said the snow, cold, and ice created a host of problems for the NIU PD.

“The colder it gets, the more calls we get,” he said.

Smith said police responded to several calls of people having car trouble, especially cars that were stuck or would not start.

“We had a lot of people call who had locked their keys in their car while they were warming it up,” he said.

Smith said just getting to the police station could be an issue for officers.

“We had to deal with digging out our own cars to get to work on time,” he said.

Smith offered up advice for students who are still dealing with the cold.

“Cover your head,” he said. “Try to cover your face with a scarf if possible.”