Redevelopment of Norris University Center’s East Lawn to begin this summer
April 5, 2024
The Northwestern Police Department is conducting a training exercise next week on the Evanston campus as part of an effort to raise awareness among students, faculty and staff about what to do in the event of a violent incident on campus.
The exercise will be filmed Monday, July 30, through Friday, Aug. 3, for a safety video to be used in the fall, and parts of this exercise may involve action and events that look like a real incident unfolding: police cars, officers in tactical gear, crime scene tape and realistic scenes with actors and weapons (unloaded).
Filming will involve an actor in the role of an aggressor playing out a scene that will be used to inform members of the community how they should respond to such an incident. Each day during the exercise, Northwestern will send out a reminder to the community with details about where the exercise is occurring on campus and urging community members to steer clear of those areas if possible. Signs will be posted at each filming site to officially indicate a training exercise is in progress.
The exercise is part of a national effort to raise awareness about what to do in the event of a violent incident involving a gun or another weapon. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is training the public in the “Run, Hide, Fight” strategy, and Northwestern is preparing a video to share with its community about what to do in the unlikely event of an incident at the University.
The training exercise by Northwestern Police will take place in multiple interior and exterior locations to emphasize that no matter where you are on campus, you will know what to do.
The exercise will take place in or near the following locations: Deering Meadow, University Hall, Ryan Center for the Musical Arts, Northwestern Police headquarters, Jacobs Center, Norris University Center, on the lakefill, by the Rock, University Library, the Kellogg Global Hub, Mudd Library and Goodrich House Residence Hall.
In a message to the Northwestern community, Chief of Police Bruce Lewis thanked community members for their patience and cooperation in the coming week.
"This is a safety exercise," he said. "It will not be a real incident taking place, but it may look realistic, so we want you to be aware and alert others. Our priority is to keep the community informed, secure and safe."
