Campus Watch: Below is a summary of campus activity reported to or observed by the University Police Department patrol officers between Monday, 3/08/10 and Tuesday, 3/09/10. JESTER EAST DORMITORY, 203 East 21st Street Possession of Marijuana / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia: A UT staff member reported three UT students were actively smoking marijuana inside the Jester East Lobby. As the officers arrived, the staff member pointed to two subjects walking towards Jester West Dormitory and identified them as two of the three subjects who were smoking inside the dormitory. Both subjects were soon joined by a third subject. The officers stopped all three and almost immediately detected a strong odor of marijuana on their person. One subject admitted he was carrying a small amount and removed a clear plastic baggie containing a green leafy substance. The officer searched the subject and discovered a small yellow glass pipe that contained burned marijuana residue in the bowl. The subject was issued a field release citation for Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. All three subjects were given referrals to the Dean of Student's Office. Occurred on: 3-08-10, at 11:27 PM. PARKING LOT 37, 2200 Red River Burglary of Motor Vehicle: The passenger window of a silver colored Mitsubishi was discovered broken. The victim inventoried her vehicle and learned her Magellan GPS system had been stolen. Loss value: $145.00. Occurred on: 3-08-10, between 8:00 AM and 2:45 PM. UNION BUILDING, #4 West Mall Burglary: A UT staff member discovered a white Apple IMAC desktop computer was stolen from an unsecured 4th floor office. Loss value: $500.00. Occurred between: 3-06-10 and 3-08-10. WINSHIP DRAMA BUILDING, 300 East 23rd Street Assault: A UT student reported she was being followed by two unknown subjects when she was confronted by a third subject who was running towards her. The student turned and began running back to Winship Drama. As she was running, the third subject grabbed her right sleeve and yelled at her to “Come Back!†The student pulled away and continued to run. The officers searched the area with negative results. The unknown subjects were described as: Three Hispanic males, average height and weight. Two of the subjects were wearing trench coats and hats. Occurred on: 3-08-10, at 10:05 PM. Crime Prevention Tip: For a number of students and staff, this is a scary scenario; one that a few of us have given some thought to. What would you do? Having a personal safety plan is key. Part of you plan should include the following: Never walk alone, do not hesitate to contact SURE Walk at 232-WALK. Walk in well lighted areas. The UT Police Department offers a free Women's Self Defense class called RAD. For more information on RAD contact Sgt Davis at 232-9611. 2300 BLOCK SAN JACINTO BLVD Assist Outside Agency / Criminal Mischief / Resisting Arrest / Criminal Trespass Warning: A non-UT subject was reported to be shaking the stop sign pole so violently the affixed red flashing light became dislodged, striking the subject on top of his head. The officers located the subject sitting under a covered bus stop. The subject asked the officers to join him since objects were falling from the sky. During the investigation, the officers learned the subject had an outstanding Outside Agency arrest warrant for Pedestrian in a Roadway. The subject was taken into custody for the warrant. Once the subject was handcuffed, he attempted to fight with the officers. The subject was transported to Central Booking. In addition to the law enforcement action taken, the subject was issued a written Criminal Trespass Warning. Damage value: Unknown at this time. Occurred on: 3-08-10, at 3:36 PM. 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. - Prepare your residence for your Spring Break absence. - Make sure you have your mail held at the post office and your newspaper delivery 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. - 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 not 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. CAMPUS WIDE: Non-Criminal Calls: In addition to the above criminal cases, the University of Texas Police Department responded to 25 Alarm Calls, 1 callbox notification, 1 EMS call, and 1 unsecured door report, between 03/08/10 and 3/09/10. To view a map of the campus visit: http://www.utexas.edu/parking/maps/index.html 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 DWH To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit http://www.utexas.edu/police/campuswatch/subscribe.php
