image map spacer IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, DIAL 911

For non-emergency:
Evanston: 847-491-3456, 847-467-7883(TDD)
Chicago: 312-503-3456, 312-503-3999(TDD)
or, dial 456 from any campus phone.

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Hire UP for Special Events

Use the links below to navigate within this page.

Introduction
Reservations
Duties
Cancellation Policies

Introduction

Northwestern University Police (UP) can assist you in planning your special event. Certain events may require that police personnel be present to provide for a reasonably safe and secure environment.

Some types of events which my require coverage include concerts, invited speakers, athletic events, parties, 5k-foot races and others. Some campus venues may require UP presence to hold an event at their site. There are also many on campus events that do not require UP staffing. Please contact UP well in advance of your event to review if police coverage is required. Your group advisor may also be helpful in planning your event.

Because UP officers working special events are doing so beyond the scope of their normal duties, officers must be paid an overtime rate. UP currently charges a flat fee of $46.00 per hour per officer.

E-mail Lieutenant Ken Jones, Dave Schultz or call 847-491-3456 if you have special event questions or concerns.

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Reservations

All special event coverage by UP requires a minimum of 10 days advance notice to enable our Department to arrange for and schedule officers to work your event. Advanced event planning assist you in event budget management, help to ensure that your event runs smoothly and prevents last minute surprises. The advance notice requirement also ensures that officers will be available to work your event. Remember, if you are not sure whether or not police coverage will be necessary, please contact UP well in advance so we can work with you to determine if coverage is needed and, if so, how much.

You can request officers for your event online by completing and submitting the Hire UP Request Form. All requests for officers to work events must be received prior to the 10-day deadline. Please use the online reservation form or speak with University Police directly to confirm your reservation. All on-line requests must include a valid CUFS or SOFO budget account number. The reservation system will confirm receipt of your request and send another confirmation once officer(s) are assigned to your event.

Student groups who provide a SOFO budget account number and make their special event request 21 days in advance of their event are entitled to a 10 % discount, a rate of $41.40 per hour per officer.

Please note the special event cancellation policies below.

Special event scheduled hours must be set at the time of the request. UP reserves the right to alter start and finish times based on the circumstances of the event. Changes to the scheduled hours of the event may not be made without the prior approval of UP. If an event is shortened by the sponsoring party, without the approval of UP, officers will be paid for the hours originally scheduled and the sponsors billed accordingly. UP realizes that some events cannot be planned to the minute as far as finish times are concerned. If you have questions, please speak with Lieutenant Ken Jones or Dave Schultz about the specifics of your event.

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Duties

The officers assigned to special events have the primary purpose of providing a reasonably safe and secure environment. While at the event, UP will try to work with the event sponsors to ensure the event proceeds safely without incident. If an incident (accident, injury, disruption, or criminal incident) occurs, the officer will take action or summon the necessary assistance to respond to the incident. Some specific duties that officers are prohibited from performing include:

  • Ticket taking or seat ushering.
  • Carding or identifying individuals to ensure University status and or above the legal drinking age.
  • Collection of ticket moneys.

If you are looking for an officer to perform other specific tasks, please discuss them with Lieutenant Ken Jones or Dave Schultz.

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Cancellation Policies

The event sponsor must inform UP of its intent to cancel an event at least five full days in advance in order for sponsor to avoid being assessed a minimum overtime charge. For example, if the event is scheduled to be held at 11:00 PM on Saturday the sponsor would have to call UP prior to 11:00 PM on the Tuesday before the event to avoid minimum charges.

To confirm cancellation of an event, call 847-491-3456 at anytime and ask to speak to the on duty shift supervisor. Inform the shift supervisor of your name, the event, the date and time of the event, a contact telephone number and your intent to cancel the event. The shift supervisor will then inform the officers scheduled to work the event.

If UP is notified by an event sponsor of a canceled event and the notice given is less than five (5) days but more than eight (8) hours prior to the event, the sponsors will be charged a flat fee of $92.00 for each officer scheduled to work the event.

If UP is notified, by an event sponsor, of a cancellation and the notice given is eight (8) hours or less prior to the event or the event is canceled without notice, the sponsors will be charged for the full time of the scheduled event up to a maximum of $184.00 per scheduled officer.

UP cannot be responsible for unforeseen circumstances such as adverse weather conditions, speaker cancellation, or equipment failures etc.

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