Crime Prevention Tip of the Week: UTPD has observed a significant increase in medical emergencies resulting from rental scooters on campus. Some of these incidents have resulted in hospitalization. We have also received a large number of e-mails from our community expressing concern about scooters operated in a dangerous manner. Please remember to operate these scooters like a bicycle, stay off sidewalks where scooters can endanger members of our community, and wear a helmet. Obey all traffic signs and UT Austin’s 15 mph speed limit. Remember that UTPD can issue administrative traffic citations on campus as part of its educational campaign to address this safety issue. Campus Watch: Below is a summary of campus criminal activity reported to or observed by The University of Texas At Austin Police Department Patrol Officers between Sunday 10/14/18 and Saturday 10/20/18. 10/17/2018, at 7:53 p.m., 2100 Speedway (Speedway Pedestrian Mall) Medical Emergency; UTPD and EMS was dispatched to a medical emergency. A woman was struck by a rented scooter, causing an abrasion to her ankle and bruise on her arm. The man riding the scooter did not stop to render any assistance or identify himself after striking the woman. The woman sought medical treatment, but her injuries were not life threatening. 10/14/2018, at 2:44 a.m., 1900 Guadalupe Driving While Intoxicated; A UTPD officer was dispatched to a report of a vehicle vs. pedestrian collision at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Guadalupe Street. After arriving at the scene, the officer began tending to the driver of the struck vehicle until EMS arrived. While speaking with the driver of the striking vehicle, the officer immediately detected a strong odor of alcohol on the man’s breath. Upon further investigation, the man admitted consuming approximately 5 beers. The male agreed to perform the Standard Field Sobriety Tests. After performing poorly on the SFSTs, the officer determined the driver’s intoxicated caused “impairment,” meaning he had committed DWI. The male was placed under arrest for driving while intoxicated and was transported to Travis County Jail without incident. 10/15/2018, at 1:33 a.m., 1815 Trinity Street (Trinity Garage) Possession of a Controlled Substance x3, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; A patrolling UTPD officer on a routine check of Trinity Garage observed a lone vehicle parked while occupied on the top level. The officer, who knows the area to be a common place for vehicles to park while occupants use drugs, approached the vehicle and spoke with the driver. As the driver rolled down his window, the officer detected the odor of marijuana. When an officer directly observes signs of contraband in a car, they can conduct a probable cause search of the vehicle. The officer did so and located a bag, which a passenger of the vehicle immediately claimed as theirs. The bag was found to contain a grinder and glass pipe with marijuana residue. Also found was a vial of brown liquid which tested positive as liquid tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. A plastic bag containing a large amount of Hydrocodone pills and another bag containing a white powdery substance, which tested positive as cocaine, were also found. Other than the marijuana, it is a felony to possess any one of these substances. The owner of the bag was placed under arrest for possession of a controlled dangerous substance (x3) and transported to Travis County Jail without incident. Charges were not filed for possession of drug paraphernalia. *The University of Texas Police Department responded to 617 calls for service. 200 Alarm Activations, 33 Suspicious Activity Investigations, 87 Foot Patrols, 59 Traffic Violations, and 10 Welfare Concerns between Sunday 09/02/18 and Saturday 09/08/18. This week's Campus Watch was prepared by: Officer Dustin Farahnak. To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit http://www.utexas.edu/police/campuswatch/subscribe.php/
