Campus Watch: Below is a summary of campus activity reported to or observed by the University Police Department patrol officers between Thursday, 03/05/09 and Friday, 03/06/09. Got Something To Do This Weekend? This Saturday will be very exciting. All around the 40 Acres there will be interesting things to do and see. UT is hosting the biggest open house that can be found – anywhere. I am speaking of a program that highlights all that is UT – Explore UT. The campus is also hosting the girls UIL State Basketball Tournament at the Frank Erwin Center. With all of these activities, I am still going to ask you to give a little of your time to help make the West Campus area a little cleaner and a little safer. Saturday marks the start of the Student Government Safety Week. The start of Safety Week also marks the beginning of APD's “Pied Piper†initiative. The Pied Piper program is geared toward cleaning-up Guadalupe Street and West Campus. This project starts Saturday at 11 am. If you are interested in helping us achieve a clean environment, join APD Officers and me at 11 am in the Renaissance Market, located in the 2300 block of Guadalupe Street. After a brief media presentation, we will be doing a walk-about around Guadalupe and into West Campus to do a little cleaning. With a little help, we can get a lot done in an hour or two so let's all come together to make a difference. Spring Break Safety Tips With Spring Break rapidly approaching, it is time to start looking at safety and security tips pertaining to Spring Break activities. I would like to start this series of tips with a very specific tip. - The State Department issued a travel safety alert on February 20, 2009. The safety alert reads as follows: The U.S. State Department has renewed a travel advisory warning Americans about an increase in violence along the U.S.-Mexico border. The alert does not recommend staying away from the country or any particular part of it, but advises American to stay away from prostitution and drug-dealing areas. It recommends visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas. The alert issued Friday says violent crime is particularly worrisome along the U.S.-Mexico border, where automatic weapons and grenades have been used in clashes between police and drug traffickers. More than 6,000 people were killed in drug violence in Mexico last year. - Prepare your residence for your Spring Break absence. - Make sure you have your mail held at the post office and your newspaper deliver suspended. - Check out an electric timer from the police department. A timer can be used to turn your interior lights on and off. This gives the impression your home is occupied. - Make sure your lawn, if you have one, is mowed and edged before you leave. An unkempt lawn is an indication no one is at home. - Bring items inside. Bicycles, lawn chairs, potted plants – pretty much anything that you don't want walking off – should be brought inside. This advice is for dormitory residents as well. BRING YOUR BICYCLE INTO YOUR DORMITORY ROOM DURING SPRING BREAK! Don't just bring your bike into your room; use your lock to secure it to something in your room. - Contact your police department to set-up a close-patrol check of your residence. This lets the police department know you will be out of town and serves as a request to have patrol officers check your residence during their patrols. - Prepare your vehicle for Spring Break - This would be a good time to have a mechanic go over your vehicle. - Change the oil - Have the belts and engine hoses checked - Check all of your vehicle's fluid levels checked and check the tire pressure - Put together an emergency kit. This kit will contain some of the following items:Water Emergency Blanket Flashlight / Extra Batteries First Aid Kit Car Cell Phone Charger Traffic Safety Vest ($9.00 in the sporting goods section of many stores) Granola bars - Preparing your personal items for the trip and packing - When packing your clothes for the trip, consider the attire of local people in the area you are visiting. Do dress to “flashy†or “laid-back†as that may cause you to stand out as a tourist and an easy target. Plan to dress conservatively. - Before you leave, take time to plan out your trip. Having an itinerary and sharing it with friends you are travelling with helps to identify possible problems and areas where security may be of more concern. Include your travel plans in the itinerary (how you will be travelling – plane, train, auto, bus, bicycle etc. and the identifiers for that method of travel; i.e. flight number 7645 leaving Austin – Bergstrom at 10 a.m. arriving at JFK International at 3:00p.m.) Make sure you provide a copy of this itinerary with friends or family that are staying here. That way, they know more about where you are, where you plan to be and when you will be back. - If travelling abroad, make sure you look up the local police department telephone numbers and the nearest US Embassy telephone numbers. Program those numbers into your cell phone. You never know when you will need them. - Check the State Department webpage for any travel advisories. The web address is http://www.state.gov/travel/ - Check the contents of your wallet. Only bring that which is necessary. Limit the amount of cash you take with you. Use traveler's checks or a credit card instead. Write down the 1-800 number to your credit card in the event your card is lost or stolen. Keep that number in your hotel. - If you take prescription medications, make sure you have enough of the prescription to last you through the trip. KEEP YOUR PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS IN THEIR ORIGINAL PRESCRIPTION BOTTLE. - Keep your name and address on the inside of your luggage and write your contact information on the luggage tag. Use a luggage tag that has a cover so your information can not be seen by someone walking by your luggage. - Stay with your luggage from your house, to the airport and up to the bag check. Watch the bag security check and ask Transportation Security Agency Officers to lock your bag after it is checked. - Airport Travel Safety If you are taking to the air to reach your Spring Break destination, make sure you prepare yourself for airport security as well. I know you have heard it time and time again, but first thing is first – Make sure you arrive early enough to check in, make it through security and to your departure gate before the plane is scheduled to board. I have found that you should arrive at the airport at least two hours before your flight. When you do arrive, keep the following suggestions in mind; - Make sure your bags are closed and locked with a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approved luggage lock (sold in many stores) - NEVER LEAVE YOUR BAGS UNATTENDED – and what I mean by that is that you actually need to be watching your bag. - Stay with your bag until it is checked. After your bag is inspected / searched by TSA watch to see if they re-secured the lock. If they did not, ask them to secure your bag with the lock. - Bring proper photo identification with you for the check in procedure. Your state issued driver's license works well for this. If travelling abroad, you should also have your Passport (you need this even if you are flying to Mexico or Canada). - If you are carrying a purse, make sure you wear the should strap diagonally across your torso. Even then, consider carrying your wallet in a pocket. - If you are only carrying a wallet, keep it in your front pocket – it is easier to pick pocket from a back pocket. Wrap a rubber band around your wallet as that too helps keep your wallet in your pocket. - DO NOT BRING ANY WEAPONS INTO THE AIRPORT – enough said about that. - Listen to directions given by TSA and airport staff and follow those directions; they are for your safety and the safety of others. - Pay attention to the pre-flight safety instructions given by flight attendants – those instructions may prove useful. I venture to say the lucky travelers who recently exited their plane in the middle of the Hudson River were glad they paid attention. - Keep these tips in mind for the return flight. Airports in other countries will have different procedures for checking in and screening, but your personal security and responsibility for your property remains the same. GREGORY GYMNASIUM, 2101 Speedway Theft: An orange colored bi-fold wallet containing various forms of identification, a credit card and $1.30 was stolen when it was left on the bleachers located by the 2nd floor basketball courts as the owner played basketball. Loss value: $6.30. Occurred on 03/05/09 between 9:45 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. SID RICHARDSON HALL, 2300 Red River Criminal Trespass Warning: A non-UT subject was reported as “sleeping†between buildings 2 and 3. The subject was found sitting on his suitcase. The subject was issued a written criminal trespass warning. Occurred on 03/06/09 at 5:43 a.m. 500 Colorado Street Driving While Intoxicated: A non-UT subject was stopped for driving a blue Suzuki sport utility vehicle northbound on Colorado Street and turning eastbound on 6th Street. The only problem, Colorado is designated for southbound traffic only and 6th Street is designated for westbound traffic only. The subject was found to be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage to the point he was deemed to have been driving the wrong way on a one-way while intoxicated. Occurred on 03/06/09 at 3:07 a.m. 2000 Guadalupe Driving While Intoxicated: A UT Police Officer observed a non-UT subject drive his orange Dodge pick-up truck at night without the headlamps turned on. To make things worse, the subject also drove left of the center line. When asked for his insurance card, the subject produced and handed over a “pay stub.†The subject eventually was able to locate his insurance card. The subject was found to be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage to the point he was deemed to have been driving while intoxicated. Occurred on 03/06/09 at 3:05 a.m. 2500 Robert Dedman Driving While Intoxicated: A UT student was stopped for driving a brown Nissan 4-door at night without the headlamps turned on. The student was found to be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage to the point he was deemed to be driving while intoxicated. Occurred on 03/06/09 at 12:17 a.m. 2500 San Jacinto Driving While Intoxicated: A UT student, who was under the age of 21, was stopped for speeding while driving his silver Nissan 350Z. The student was found to be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage to the point he was deemed to have been driving while intoxicated. Occurred on 03/06/09 at 3:06 a.m. CAMPUS WIDE: Non-Criminal Calls: In addition to the above criminal cases, the University of Texas Police Department responded to 19 alarm calls, 1 fire alarm, 1 lighting survey, 2 suspicious activity reports, 2 welfare concern reports and 1 public assist between 03/05/09 and 03/06/09. 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 To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit http://www.utexas.edu/police/campuswatch/subscribe.php
