DeKALB | As students fall into the groove of the new semester, the NIU police department identifies thefts and underage drinking as two of their main concerns.

Before the first home football game of the season last Saturday, the official police blotter reported five cases involving underage drinking. Four were reported for illegal consumption. During Saturday evening’s game, there was a spike of 13 reported cases, though 12 were for possession, and only one for consumption.

Tailgating, intentionally or not, often acts as a catalyst for illegal activity, police said.

“The reality of the drinking aspect is that it is unfortunately acceptable in today’s social environment,” said Lt. Matthew Kiederlen of the NIU Police. “It’s become normality, and that normalcy is carried down to people who are underage, unfortunately.”

The late summer weather and excitement of being back on campus plays a part in the crime during this time of year, Kiederlen said.

“When it’s warmer, people are out and about, and there is a higher tendency for crime, so we get more calls,” he said. “When it’s colder, people are inside, and it’s not quite as busy.”

In the first several weeks since classes began, police officials said they have not seen any notable shift in the crime rate from this time last year.

“It’s fairly the same,” said Kiederlen of the crime rate compared to this time last year. “We’ve had some cases of underage consumption from the football games, plus some fights. However, we haven’t had anything very serious yet.”

One of the more prevalent problems on campus is the issue of thefts, particularly in the residence halls. Police say students — freshmen in particular — struggle to adjust to the idea of having to protect their belongings.

“Freshmen tend to find themselves more susceptible to theft and property crimes,” Kiederlen said. “They’ll have things stolen out of their rooms because they aren’t used to the idea of having to secure themselves. They need to leave their doors locked. These types of things are common, unfortunately. There are people out there willing to take advantage of others.”