Campus Watch: Below is a summary of campus activity reported to or observed by the University Police Department patrol officers between Monday, 12/14/09 and Tuesday, 12/15/09. ****Theft Stat Countdown- “Houston, we have a problemâ€**** With today's 5 theft reports, we have fallen short of our goal of having the lowest theft rate in the past four years. We are still well below last year's theft rate so I am encouraged we can continue the downward trend in 2010. To that end, let us all develop the good habits that will reduce our theft rate for the remainder of this year and into the next. Let's all do our part to prevent thefts. Make sure you keep your office or dorm room door closed and locked. Mark your property with your state issued driver's license number. Use a quality u-lock and a cable lock to secure your bicycle. Be sure to report suspicious activity to the UT Police Department at 512-471-4441. Finally, never, ever leave your property unattended. The end of the year means it is time to start submitting your favorite or funny entries for the Best of 2009. If there is a Campus Watch entry that you found most informative, entertaining or just downright humorous, please submit the entry or description of the case to Officer Halstead at Darrell.halstead@austin.utexas.edu or Officer William Pieper at photocop@mail.utexas.edu We hope to send out the top ten by next Monday, so submit your entries today! We will compile a list of the top ten for the year and send it out for your reading enjoyment. DARRELL K ROYAL TX MEMORIAL STADIUM, 405 East 23rd Street Theft: A grey Panasonic video camera was stolen after the owner left it at an entry gate to the stadium to enter a football game as video cameras are not allowed inside the stadium. When the owner returned after the game, he discovered the video camera had been stolen. Loss value: $175.00. Occurred on 11/21/09 between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM. Reported on 12/14/09 at 4:00 PM. JESTER CENTER WEST, 201 East 21st Street Theft: A black and blue Mongoose bicycle was stolen while it was “secured†with a cable lock to the bicycle rack located on west side of the dormitory. Loss value: $150.00. Occurred between 12/11/09 at 3:00 PM and 12/13/09 at 7:00 PM. LITTLEFIELD DORMITORY, 201 East Dean Keeton Theft: A backpack, textbook, notebook and black Classic i-pod were left on a table in a 1st floor corridor while the owner went to clean her room. Upon returning to the table, the owner discovered her property had been stolen. It was discovered that he property had been turned into a Resident Assistant as found property. The i-pod was not part of the property that was turned in as found property. Loss value: $200.00. Occurred on 12/15/09 between 12:45 AM and 1:05 AM. PERRY-CASTANEDA LIBRARY, 101 East 21st Street Theft: A grey and black Trek bicycle was stolen while it was “secured†with a cable lock to a bicycle rack located on the east side of the library. Loss value: $420.00. Occurred on 12/14/09 between 12:50 PM and 2:00 PM. Crime Prevention Tip: While many of us scramble to make the most of the shopping time left, thieves realize their stores never close and the deals are limitless. This is a popular time of year for bicycle thefts. There are fewer people on campus and those who are on campus are tied up with finals and all the studying that goes with finals. As you can see in this case, these thefts do happen during the day. I encourage everyone to take a second or two while you walk the campus today to look around and see what is going on. If you see something suspicious, call the UT Police Department at 512- 471-4441. If you want to make sure your bicycle is available to you next semester, consider taking it with you over the break. If that is not possible, make sure you secure your bicycle inside your apartment or dormitory room. PETER T. FLAWN ACADEMIC CENTER, #2 West Mall Assault with Injury: Two UT students were diligently studying in a 1st floor reading room. One of the students was listening to his MP3 player and “tapping†his foot. The repetitive sound of the toe tap became too much for the other student. When asked to stop, the toe tapper simply replied “No†and continued his melodious ways. When asked a second time to discontinue the concert, the musician again stated “No†and affirmed his belief he was #1 by extending a single finger toward the other student. The other student went on to push the musician's property off of a table. The musician then came to his feet and struck the other student in the face with his fist. This strike caused the music critic pain. Occurred on 12/14/09 at 3:33 PM. Crime Prevention Tip: Finals are always a stressful time. It is easy for a student to reach the boiling point under so much pressure. Keep this in mind, an action made without thought could have devastating results. Like in this case, the assaultive student is now facing a class A misdemeanor which is punishable by confinement in jail. While incarceration can relieve the pressure of finals for you, it can also have devastating effects on your academic career and you future. Before making any rash decisions, take a second to catch your breath, consider the situation and weigh the consequences of your actions. Sometimes it is best to just walk away. If you feel like a break could help you gather yourself, refocus and face your finals, consider visiting the MindBody Lab located on the 5th floor of the Student Services Building. For more information on the MindBody lab, visit http://cmhc.utexas.edu/mindbodylab.html Crime Prevention Tip of the Day: During the Holidays there are a number of law enforcement agencies patrolling the streets of Austin looking for intoxicated drivers. Some agencies will even put extra officers onto the streets for this purpose. This year the University of Texas at Austin has joined forces with the Travis County Attorney's Underage Drinking Prevention Program. Please see the attached to the Campus Watch. Santa is coming to town, please don't hit him…Don't Drink and Drive. CAMPUS WIDE: Non-Criminal Calls: In addition to the above criminal cases, the University of Texas Police Department responded to 14 alarm calls, 1 fire alarm activation, 2 welfare concern reports, 1 suspicious activity report, 1 disturbance, 1 EMS call and 2 unsecured door reports between 12/14/09 and 12/15/09. 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/ Emergency Text Message Service The University of Texas at Austin and its police department are responsible for notifying faculty, staff, and students of emergency situations (e.g., inclement weather, building evacuations, campus closures, etc.). The University employs a wide variety of tools to make sure everyone on campus is informed during an emergency event—including text messaging. In order to accomplish emergency text messaging more effectively, the University is collecting cell phone numbers from members of our campus community. Effective August 26, 2009, this database of cell phone numbers will be used for emergency text messages. Please complete the form at http://www.utexas.edu/cellphonealert so you will become an integral part of this important emergency notification system and help the university to achieve the highest standards of campus and community safety. Your cell phone number will not be used for. Campus Safety and Security at (512) 471-5767. 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. 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. You may also direct comments to Officer William Pieper at 512-232-9638 or by e-mail at photocop@mail.utexas.edu. Prepared by WRP To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit http://www.utexas.edu/police/campuswatch/subscribe.php
