Campus Watch: Below is a summary of campus activity reported to or observed by the University Police Department patrol officers between Monday, 02/24/14 and Tuesday, 02/25/14. BIOLOGY BUILDING, 205 A Whitis Criminal Mischief: An unknown person threw an orange traffic cone on the roof of the greenhouse located on the south side of the building. The traffic cone broke out two glass windows in the roof of the greenhouse. Repair cost: $200.00. Occurred between 02/21/14 at 4:00 PM and 02/22/14 at 8:00 AM. JESTER CENTER WEST, 201 East 21st Street Suspicious Activity / Scam: An unknown subject telephoned the mother of a UT student and advised her that “someone had her son.” The student was located at his class and was directed to call his parents after it was confirmed he had not been taken captive. Reported on 02/24/14 at 10:52 AM. Crime Prevention Tip: This type of scam as occurred in a variety of locations around the country in the past. If someone has contacted you to demand a small amount of money in return for your loved one, do the following: • Remain calm and try to locate your family member. Remember, the vast majority of these calls are hoaxes. Whether done as a prank or an attempt to extort money, these individuals are trying to exploit your fears. If you have caller ID, write down the number. • Do not tell the caller where you live or agree to any money transfer. Never provide information about you or your family (including the name of the individual allegedly kidnapped, injured, etc.). • Ask to speak to your family member to confirm his/her identity. This foils the majority of these calls because the virtual kidnapper only has the upper hand as long as you believe that he/she really has your loved one. Don’t be afraid to challenge them by asking “What is my child’s name?” • If the caller cannot or will not answer, hang up (many will hang up at the first sign of stubbornness). • If you or your family has been a victim of this scam, please contact your local authorities and UTPD at 512-471-4441. • If you are a student and your parents try to call or text you; answer the phone or respond to the text – as a parent, trust me, I know, they are concerned. 2200 Guadalupe Theft: A UT student placed his Apple iPhone in his backpack while in the 2200 block of Guadalupe Street. When the student got to his class, he noticed his phone was not in his backpack. The student used a tracking feature on the phone to follow it between 22nd and San Antonio Street and 17th and Rio Grande Street before losing the track. The student sent several text messages asking the person who had the phone to turn it into at a specific location. Loss value: $300.00. Occurred on 02/24/14 between 12 noon and 1:00 PM. The University of Texas Police Department responded to 29 Alarm Reports, 1 “Police Help” Callbox Activation, 4 Welfare Concern Reports, 2 Traffic Violations, 5 Suspicious Activity Reports, 4 Medical Emergency Reports, 9 Unsecured Door Reports and 2 Public Assist Reports between 02/24/14 and 02/25/14. ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGES Report bias incidents that you experience or witness to CCRT (Campus Climate Response Team) online at http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ccrt To view a map of the campus visit: http://www.utexas.edu/maps/ Are you a Fan of the University of Texas Police Department? Come join us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/utaustinpolice Online property registration Items with a serial number such as laptops, MP3 players, cell phones, electronics, and bikes are eligible. Registering your property is very helpful in theft investigations and in returning lost property to its rightful owner. Without identifying information, recovering stolen property is virtually impossible. Logon to https://www.utexas.edu/police/property/ to register your property today. SURE Walk is a student-run volunteer group that provides walks to and from campus to UT students, faculty, and staff, with the help of student volunteers. Volunteers are gathered from trusted organizations from around campus, such as Orange Jackets and APO, and include both males and females. An agency of Student Government, SURE Walk is in service Monday through Thursday from 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. during the fall and spring semesters. To order a walk, call (512) 232-9255 or email orderasurewalk@gmail.com, and two volunteers, one male and one female, will meet you at your current location and walk you to your destination, whether it be on campus or in the greater campus neighborhoods. If you have any questions, concerns, or if your organization is interested in volunteering, please e-mail: texassurewalk@gmail.com. Lost and Found Property Did you lose something on campus? Please report your missing property to UTPD Lost and Found at http://www.utexas.edu/police/lostandfound. Or call 512-232-9619 and describe your item to us. If we have your item, we’ll contact you as quickly as possible to arrange its return to you. UTPD handles over 5000 lost and found items each year from campus departments, although we cannot accept clothing, food or drink containers, toiletries, broken or soiled property. Campus departments are encouraged to call 471-4441 to have UTPD pick up lost and found items that are unclaimed after one week. 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. Campus Safety and Security at (512) 471-5767 The RAD program is a 12-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/ 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. If you are a faculty or staff member who 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/ 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 Layne Brewster at 512-232-9638 or via e-mail to layne.brewster@austin.utexas.edu Prepared by: Ofc. WR Pieper To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit http://www.utexas.edu/police/campuswatch/subscribe.php/
