Campus Watch: Below is a summary of campus activity reported to or observed by the University Police Department patrol officers between Wednesday, 08/26/09 and Thursday, 08/27/09. S.U.R.E. Walk During this year's Freshman Orientation, many parents had questions pertaining to SURE Walk. The UT Student Government is proud to announce SURE Walk is back. "Don't want to walk home alone? Call SURE Walk at 512-232-WALK (9255) and volunteers will meet you anywhere on campus and escort you to your destination. SURE Walk is available from 9PM to 1AM, Monday through Thursday, and is located in the FAC Atrium." FACILITIES COMPLEX BUILDING 1, 1301 Dean Keeton Harassing Communications: An unidentified person placed several repeated and unwanted telephone calls to a UT staff member's 3rd floor office telephone. The caller would disconnect the phone call when the recipient would answer. A different staff member eventually answered the telephone at which time the caller asked for the first staff member by name and became “harsh and rude.†Reported on 08/26/09 at 2:05 p.m. GREGORY GYM, 2101 Speedway Theft: A grey Giant bicycle was when it was “secured†with a cable lock to a bicycle rack located on the west side of the gymnasium. JESTER CENTER WEST, 201 East 21st Street Theft: A Gary Fisher bicycle was stolen while it was “secured†with a cable lock to a bicycle rack located on the south side of the building. Loss value: $300.00. Occurred between 08/25/09 at 11:30 p.m. and 08/26/09 at 8:00 a.m. Crime Prevention Tip: Having your bicycle registered with UT Parking and Transportation Services is a requirement. That should not be the main reason you register your bicycle, however, you should register your bicycle because the registration database maintains a record of your bicycle's serial number. If your bicycle is stolen, and you do not know the serial number of the bicycle, then there is very little chance your bicycle will ever be found. Take a few minutes to register your bicycle. It is required, it is free and it can be done on-line at: http://www.utexas.edu/parking/transportation/biking/registration.html JESTER CENTER WEST, 201 East 21st Street Theft: The front wheel to a Mongoose bicycle was stolen while the bicycle was secured to the bicycle racks located on the west side of the dormitory. Loss value: $25.00. Occurred between 08/25/09 and 08/26/09. JESTER CENTER WEST, 201 West 21st Street Theft: The rear wheel and frame of a black Trek bicycle was stolen while the front wheel of the bicycle was secured with a u-lock to a bicycle rack located on the west side of the dormitory. Loss value: $450.00. Occurred between 08/24/09 at 5:30 p.m. and 08/26/09 at 8:15 a.m. Crime Prevention Tip: I am sure long time readers of the campus watch can attest that we often point out the necessity of using a quality u-lock to secure your bicycle. What is every bit as important as using a quality u-lock is securing your bicycle properly. A u-lock should be used to secure the front wheel AND bicycle frame to the bicycle rack. In this case, the thief simply stole the frame and rear wheel which wasn't secured and then shopped around the bicycle rack for a bicycle whose front wheel was not secured and stole that bike's front wheel (see previous entry). The marriage of the stolen items from different bikes led to one complete bike for a thief to ride off on and two victims. At a minimum, use a quality u-lock to secure the front wheel and bike frame to a bike rack. To maximize your security, use the u-lock as described and then incorporate a cable lock to secure the frame and rear wheel to the bike rack. MOORE HILL HALL DORMITORY, 214 East 21st Street Burglary of a Residence: A Tom-Tom GPS system and an 80-gig i-Pod were stolen from an unsecured 3rd floor dormitory room. The owner stated he and his roommate left their dormitory room to get something to eat. The owner stated he attempted to lock the door, but believes he turned the key in the wrong direction which left the dorm room unlocked. Loss value: $320.00. Occurred on 08/22/09 between 7:30 p.m. and 8:40 p.m. Crime Prevention Tip: It is a good habit to test the lock every time you close and lock a door. All it takes is a second or two to turn the handle after you lock a door. I might be a little on the compulsive side, or maybe I have just worked too many cases in which a door that was believed to be locked actually wasn't, but I normally turn the door handle every time I secure a door just to make sure the door is locked. It is always better to be safe than sorry. UNION BUILDING, #4 West Mall Theft: A black and grey backpack containing two text books, a debit card and two identification cards were stolen when the backpack was placed on the ground behind a chair where the owner was sitting to enjoy a meal. Loss value: $200.00. Occurred on 08/26/09 between 5:00 p.m. and 5:05 p.m. Crime Prevention Tip: We often believe our property is secured if we are in close proximity to the property. This case clearly points out two very important facts. 1. It only takes a few seconds for a thief to steal your property. 2. If you do not have your property in sight, then it is subject to being stolen; regardless of how near your property is to you. Always keep your property where you can see it. If you must place your backpack or purse on the ground, be sure to thread your foot through the shoulder strap of your backpack or purse – that way the only way a thief can drag your property off is if he drags you with it. W.R. WOOLRICH LABS, 210 East 24th Street & ANIMAL RESOURCES CENTER, 2701 Speedway Burglary of a Building: A UT faculty member reported his UT issued Dell Latitude D630 laptop and personally owned i-Pod Touch were stolen out of his 4th floor office while the faculty member visited an neighboring office for 10 minutes. While taking this report, other officers were dispatched to the Animal Resource Center, located a few blocks away, to a report of a suspicious person. In that case, the reporting person advised a subject was seen inside the closed facility and claimed to be waiting for a ride. The subject left the building prior to the officers' arrival. While taking the suspicious person report, an employee of the building reported her MacBook Pro had been stolen out of her office. A review of video surveillance showed a person matching the description of the suspicious person crawling on his hands and knees into the theft victim's office and crawling out of the office with the laptop. After the description of the suspect was broadcast, an on-the-ball officer located a subject matching that description entering a restaurant several blocks away. The non-UT subject was found to be in possession of the two stolen laptops and the stolen i-Pod Touch. Recovered value: $2550.00. Reported on 08/26/09 at 4:18 p.m. 27th Street Garage, 109 West 27th Street Criminal Mischief: While exiting her parked vehicle, a UT staff member accidentally struck the right side passenger door of a grey Honda 4-door that was parked next to her car. The owner of the Honda was inside his car when the accident occurred. Before the staff member could speak with the owner of the Honda, the owner opened his passenger side door with enough force to cause damage to the staff member's car door. The staff member and the owner of the Honda had an exchange of words before the owner of the Honda left the area. Repair cost: $150.00. Occurred on 08/26/09 at 9:15 a.m. 2100 Speedway Criminal Trespass Warning: A non-UT subject and a UT student were observed entering a construction site through a small hole in the site's perimeter fence. The subject and student were both issued written criminal trespass warnings. Occurred on 08/27/09 at 2:20 a.m. CAMPUS WIDE: Non-Criminal Calls: In addition to the above criminal cases, the University of Texas Police Department responded to 22 alarm calls, 2 “Police Help†call box alarms, 2 public assist requests, 2 medical emergency assist calls, 3 light malfunction reports, 1 suspicious person report, 1 welfare concern report and 4 unsecured door reports between 08/26/09 and 08/27/09. 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 cover 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
