Campus Watch: Below is a summary of campus activity reported to or observed by the University Police Department patrol officers between Thursday, 12/11/08 and Friday, 12/12/08. If you have any information pertaining to any of these cases or other criminal or suspicious activity, please contact the UT Police Department at 512-471-4441. Faculty / Staff To Do List: Check it twice so its easier to find out whose naughty or nice. Good morning faculty and staff. I know, as a staff member myself that we are all looking forward to a few quiet weeks on the 40 acres. Many of us will be able take a few well deserved days off. Before you pack your bags, make the effort to assure your workspace will be ready to jump back into action next year. Right now you should be doing the following: - Start taking your personal items home; that way such items will not be there in the event a burglar sneaks down the office chimney this holiday. - Check your drawers and cabinets for locks. If your office furniture has such features, begin placing office equipment and supplies inside the furniture and lock it up before the break. - Make an inventory of items inside your office and plan to check the inventory upon return to the campus. - Check the locks on your office windows and doors. While checking the door locks make sure you test the door closure devices; especially on exterior doors. To do this, simply lock the door, open the door several times and let it close on its own. Make sure the door closes completely each time. If the door and lock do not secure the door each time, put in a work order to have the door checked and fixed. - Test your alarm systems. PLEASE CALL UTPD before you do this. I\'m not sure if there is anything cops dislike more than false alarms. To test your alarms, call the UTPD dispatcher at 512-471-4441, provide them your name and personal identification code (PIC) and tell them you want to test your alarms. Test the alarm by setting the alarm up and causing it to go off. For more instructions on testing your specific alarm system call Officer Halstead at 232-9634 or me at 232-9638. - Provide instructions to those working over the break. Such directions should include building hours, opening and closing directions and alarm operation procedures... again, cops don\'t like false alarms so make sure your alarm information is up-to-date with UTPD and tell your staff to report false alarms. Winter Break Security Considerations All across campus there are so many individuals dreaming of what this winter break may bring. A new bike, a laptop or desktop computer, a cell phone, a car stereo or maybe a digital camera... the wish list just grows and grows. You may be thinking I am referring to our young students who dream of visits by Santa, but I am actually thinking of the many thieves who are shopping in the libraries, bicycle racks, office suites and parking lots on campus. They are looking for an easy holiday acquisition. As the semester winds down, take a few moments to examine the security of your property. Before you finish your last final consider if you are placing your property at risk. Never leave your property unattended... not even for a few seconds to get a drink of water. Remember the thieves are doing their style of shopping and their \"purchase\" requires no money or credit and only takes a second or two. Before you leave campus, make a check list of things you need to do. Your list should include - securing your valuables within your residence - bringing your bicycle inside your residence - installing rail locks on your windows and sliding glass doors - checking out an electric timer form the police department (a timer causes your lights to turn on and off at a set time giving the appearance you are in your residence) - cleaning out your car if you are leaving it in Austin or preparing your car for travel. That means - having your car\'s belts and hoses checked for wear - Checking the air pressure in your car\'s tires for proper inflation - getting the oil changed if near the due time - placing the following items in your vehicle for travel: - a blanket - a roll of paper towels - a gallon sized bottle of water to use in the event your car overheats - bottled water for drinking - a flashlight and extra batteries - a road hazard triangle - a charger for your cell phone - map to your travel destination - granola bars in the vent you become stranded AT&T EXECUTIVE EDUCATION & CONFERENCE CENTER, 1900 University Theft Report Updates: Yesterday afternoon I received word that both theft items in yesterday\'s Campus Watch had been located inside the conference center. CENTENNIAL PARK, 1620 Red River Criminal Trespass Warning: A non-UT subject was found camping under a tree located by the statues located on the east side of the park. The subject was issued a written criminal trespass warning. Occurred on 12/11/08 at 9:29 a.m. CHEMICAL AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERING, 200 East Dean Keeton Theft: A blue and silver Schwinn Prelude 14 speed road bike was stolen while it was \"secured\" with a cable lock to a bicycle rack located on the southwest side of the building. Loss value: $220.00. Occurred on 12/11/08 between 6:45 p.m. and 9:40 p.m. Crime prevention Tip: Again, I placed the word secured in quotation marks as it means secure in name only. Cable locks provide very little protection against bicycle theft. To protect your bicycle use a quality u-lock. For enhanced security, use a u-lock and a cable lock. If you plan to give a bicycle as a present this holiday season, show the person how much they do mean to you by also giving them a quality u-lock too. GREGORY GYMNASIUM, 2101 Speedway Theft / Criminal Trespass Warnings / Possession of Marijuana / Assist Outside Agency: Three UT students reported the theft of two cellular telephones and an MP3 player from the bleacher area of the gym while the three students played basketball. During the investigation, two non-UT subjects were observed pacing back and forth by the bleachers. One of the two stolen cellular telephones was found in a bag belonging to one of the two subjects. Both subjects claimed the other subject stole the telephone. The MP3 player was located under the bleachers. The second cellular telephone was not located. It is believed the two thieves had a third accomplice that had left the area. A second cellular telephone that was determined to belong to a fourth UT student was also found in the thief\'s bag. That student had not yet reported the phone as stolen. One of the two thieves was found to be in possession of .03 ounces of marijuana. The other thief was found to have two outstanding outside agency arrest warrants for theft (what else) and for attempting to obtain credit by false statement. Recovery value: $300.00. Loss value: $100.00. Reported on 12/11/08 at 7:47 p.m. JESTER CENTER ACADEMIC, 201 East 21st Street Theft: The hard drive was removed and stolen from a desktop computer located inside a 3rd floor office. Loss value: $50.00. Occurred between 12/05/08 at 5:00 p.m. and 12/08/08 at 8:00 a.m. PERRY-CASTANEDA LIBRARY, 101 East 21st Street Theft: A white MacBook was stolen when it was left unsecured on a table located on the 4th floor. The owner\'s other property that was left on the table was not disturbed. Loss value: $1,200.00. Occurred on 12/12/08 between 1:00 a.m. and 1:10 a.m. Crime Prevention Tip: The other items left undisturbed demonstrate just how quickly a thief will act. Thieves know they often only have a second or two to commit a theft... this causes them to swoop in steal a single item or two and leave the area without drawing too much attention to themselves. Property left unattended for just seconds is at risk for theft. Theft is also a popular end of semester activity with thieves spending almost as much time as students in the campus libraries. SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, 1925 San Jacinto Theft: A black leather Coach Zoe wallet was stolen form a purse that was left in a drawer located inside a 3rd floor office while the owner attended a meeting. The wallet contained five credit / debit cards, a checkbook, various forms of identification and $4.00 in cash. During the time frame of the theft, a staff member observed a person in the third floor hallway. The staff member advised the subject appeared to be lost or was looking for something. When the staff member asked if the person needed assistance, the subject replied he was looking for a certain employee, whose name just happened to be posted by the door the subject was then standing by. The subject then left the area. The subject was described as a black male subject in his late 30\'s or early 40\'s about 5'9" tall, average to heavy build with facial hair and carrying a backpack. Loss value: $240.00. Occurred on 12/11/08 between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Crime Prevention Tip: Office thefts like these happen all the time. The staff member who observed the suspicious subject recognized the behavior of the subject as suspicious and did take action by asking if the subject was looking for something. That, no doubt, scared the subject off and prevented other thefts. We encourage everyone to provide good customer service and to offer assistance for those who seem to need assistance. Such service does prevent thefts. We also ask that everyone report suspicious activity as soon as they can. The police department has very good response times to crimes in progress and reports of suspicious people. Your prompt report could very well lead to the apprehension of a crook. CAMPUS WIDE: Non-Criminal Calls: In addition to the above criminal cases, the University of Texas Police Department responded to 28 alarm calls, 1 medical emergency assist, 2 public assist requests, 3 unsecured door reports, 1 welfare concern report and 1 suspicious activity report between 12/11/08 and 12/12/08. If you are a faculty or staff member that has been affected by a crime, the UT Employee Assistance Program (471-3366) is available for counseling and referrals to other appropriate services. http://www.utexas.edu/hr/eap/ To view a map of the campus visit: http://www.utexas.edu/parking/maps/index.html RAD Program For Women, Now Available (Classes are FREE) Advanced RAD Classes Being Held for RAD Class Graduates The RAD program is a 16-hour course of realistic self-defense tactics and techniques for women that covers assault prevention and risk reduction while progressing on to basic hands-on defense training. http://www.utexas.edu/police/rad/ Defensive Driving: Learn Defensive Driving from a UTPD Police Officer. UTPD generally schedules a Defensive Driving Class approximately once a month based on need. The classes meet in the University Police Building, Room 1.318, located at 2201 Robert Dedman Dr (east of Memorial Stadium). The cost for the course is $25.00 (check or cash) payable on class date. If paying in cash, please bring the exact amount because change may not be available. You will also need to bring your driver's license. For more information, to check for the next available class time or to register on-line go to: http://www.utexas.edu/police/services/defensive_driving.php Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL) The Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL) is a partnership among the Office of the Dean of Students, Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and the University of Texas Police Department (UTPD). BCAL provides a central resource for UT faculty, students, and staff who may have concerns about the behavior or well-being of another member of the campus community. By calling BCAL at 512-232-5050, callers may talk with trained staff members who will assist the caller in exploring available options and strategies as well as referrals to appropriate campus support networks. For more information on BCAL, visit the BCAL Web site at www.utexas.edu/safety/bcal or call 512-232-5050. Contact UT Police at 471-4441 if you have any information regarding any of the above incidents or call 911 regarding suspicious persons, suspicious activities or crime. Your call may help solve or prevent a crime. Campus Watch comments should be directed to Officer Darrell Halstead at 512-232-9634 or via e-mail to Darrell.halstead@austin.utexas.edu . Prepared by WRP ISA To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit http://www.utexas.edu/police/campuswatch/subscribe.php
