Campus Watch: Below is a summary of campus activity reported to or observed by the University Police Department patrol officers between Tuesday, 03/04/14 and Wednesday, 03/05/14. ***ADMINISTRATIVE: Spring Break is approaching -- here are a few safety tips for traveling: College is a very stressful time in a person’s life. One of the ways college students relieve their stress is to go on a trip over spring break. But, sometimes these college students receive a burn before they even see the sun. This is caused by students being taken in by companies that subject the students to fraud. Common Frauds: • Companies adding extra fees that were not originally agreed upon • Companies not providing the accommodations they may have promised • Worst case scenario: students were sold packages that did not exist and the “company” disappeared with the students money There are some key ways to prevent fraud and allow for less stress. Booking Your Trip: • Book your trip through a company you are familiar with or someone else has used and referred you to. • Get a contract in writing that states what you have agreed upon verbally. • Always read the fine print. • Be cautious in believing what you are told. If it seems too good to be true it probably is. • Make sure the dates you want to travel are the dates the tickets are issued for. • Don’t pay in cash; instead pay using a credit card. If you use your credit card to pay and the services you contracted for are not provided, you may not be liable for the charge on your card. • Watch out for vouchers- steer clear of companies which ask you to redeem vouchers or certificates. Traveling and Touring: • Remember that some people prey on tourist. Be cautious of what you sign up for or who you trust when you are on spring break, especially in other countries where the laws are different. • Always keep your luggage with you and in your site. If you must step away, make sure you ask a friend you can trust to keep an eye on your belongings. • Never leave your passport, other forms of ID or money in an unsafe place. It is best to keep these with you at all times. • Never walk alone or get into a vehicle with someone you do not know. JESTER CENTER WEST, 201 East 21st Street Theft: A UT student reported her bicycle stolen from the bike racks between Jester West and Jester East. She last saw her bicycle two weeks ago. Estimated loss value: $500.00. Reported on 03/04/2014, at 6:30 PM. LITTLEFIELD DORMITORY, 201 West Dean Keeton Counterfeiting: A UT staff member reported a counterfeit bill being passed to purchase goods from Littlefield Café. Reported on 03/04/2014, 12:14 PM SARAH M. & CHARLES E. SEAY BUILDING, 2600 Speedway Theft: A UT staff member reported his work jacket and keys were stolen while he was working. He left them on the ground, unattended, for approximately fifteen minutes. Occurred on 03/04/2014, between 3:00 PM and 3:15 PM. The University of Texas Police Department responded to 43 Alarm Reports, 15 Traffic Violations, 1 “Police Help” Callbox Alarm, 1 Collision, 1 Accidental Damage Report, 5 Suspicious Activity Reports, 2 Unsecured Door Reports, 2 Found Property Reports, 2 Welfare Concern Reports, and 9 Public Assist Reports between 03/04/14 and 03/05/14. 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. L. Brewster To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit http://www.utexas.edu/police/campuswatch/subscribe.php/
