Semester break may be a time to lay back and relax for students and faculty, but the absence of thousands of students won’t affect the work of DeKalb and University police officers.

The men in blue (or white) still will be busy patrolling the streets of DeKalb.

While alcohol arrests and other student-related incidents decline, the department’s total workload does not decrease, DeKalb police Lt. Jim Kayes said.

“You’d think because it’s Christmas we’d have more time on our hands, but it usually doesn’t work that way,” Kayes added.

The holiday doesn’t halt work for University Police either.

Sgt. David Wickstrom said it’s a busy time for the department, not because of the volume of calls, but the type of work they do.

“We do a lot more foot patrols in the residence halls and classroom buildings … so we’re busy, although there are less people,” Wickstrom said. “We’re a lot more aware of who’s in buildings and parking lots.”

Though most students leave the area, local residents still are around to keep police busy.

Kayes said domestic violence and thefts tend to increase during the holidays.

Sometimes we have a rash of burglaries on apartments, so people should lock up their homes and take valuables with them if they’re leaving DeKalb, Kayes said.

High school kids spend a lot more time at home and tend to get themselves into more trouble, University Police Lt. John Hunter.

And there’s always the bizarre.

Hunter recalled a situation four to five years ago when two individuals snuck into Huskie Stadium on New Year’s Eve, climbed up and stole light bulbs from the stadium lights high above the press box.

Hunter said he saw them walking down Annie Glidden Road with big light bulbs, but he had no clue what they were planning.

University Police officers ask students to take common precautions by locking up their things and keeping an eye on their valuables while away.