Crime Prevention Tip of the Week: Your cell phone is the most effective crime prevention tool you own. If you need an officer for any reason, do not hesitate to call UTPD. If you do not feel you have time to look up UTPD’s administrative number (512-471-4441), that means you should dial 911. UT Austin is safer when the community contacts UTPD quickly. Always make sure your phone is charged, and that you’re aware of your surroundings. 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 during the between Sunday 1/27/19 and Saturday 02/02/19. 1/31/2019 at 6:35 p.m., 2400 Guadalupe. Evading, Resisting Arrest or Detention: UTPD frequently patrols West Campus on foot. This evening, a patrol officer was walking on the Drag and observed a man standing in the middle of the intersection, screaming words referring to human anatomy at pedestrians and cars. The officer also noticed students were fearful, and hesitating to cross the intersection. To investigate possible Public Intoxication and Disorderly Conduct, the officer asked this man to talk to him on the sidewalk, where it was safer. The transient declined the invitation, and explained “If you ever talk to me again, it will be the last time you wake up.” The man then began walking into traffic, again screaming, while refusing the officer’s orders to stop. When the officer told the transient he was under arrest, the man resisted until placed into handcuffs. Officers transported this man to Travis County Jail without further incident. Fortunately, UT Students displayed great strategies in this situation, and were observed thanking each other for walking together, and contacted UTPD about this man’s suspicious behavior several times. 02/01/2019, at 09:23 a.m., 2300 Inner Campus Drive. Criminal Trespass: A UTPD officer on a routine patrol of campus observed a transient approach a UT employee. The encounter appeared tense, and the staff member seemed alarmed, so the officer asked her if everything was alright. She explained that the transient had walked up and yelled “Get out of my way!” for no apparent reason. The officer stopped to ask them man about his right of way concerns, but then determined that this man had a prior criminal trespass warning for all of UT campus. Due to this man’s previous behavior, he had been informed by UTPD that if he returns to campus he is subject to arrest. And therefore, the man was placed under arrest for criminal trespass and no one was in his way to his destination at Travis County Jail. Always contact UTPD when you observe someone whose behavior is aggressive or makes you feel unsafe. 02/01/2019, at 11:40 p.m., 100 E. 21st St. (Perry Castaneda Library). UTPD officers were flagged down about a report that a man was pulling on bicycles on the racks near the Perry Castaneda Library. Officers determined that the man had pulled on several locked bicycles, but had not completed a theft. He was unable to explain what he was up to, or what his business on campus was. They issued the man a Criminal Trespass Warning, explaining that if he returns to UT Austin, he will be subject to arrest. The man then left campus. 02/02/2019, at 8:41 p.m., 2300 Guadalupe Street. Assist Outside Agency: A UTPD officer patrolling west campus observed a man sleeping on the sidewalk at the 2300 block of Guadalupe Street, near the former location of Austin’s Pizza. The officer stopped to check on the male subject’s welfare, and after several attempts to wake him up, the man appeared to be evading answers about his name or situation by feigning confusion. Once the officer was able to determine the man’s identity, it was discovered that the man had a warrant his arrest and was in violation of parole. The man was placed under arrest for the warrant and was transported to the jail. *The University of Texas Police Department responded to 595 total calls for service, including 183 Alarm Activations, 89 Foot Patrols, 34 Traffic Violations, and 14 Welfare Concerns between Sunday 1/27/19 and Saturday 02/02/19. This week's Campus Watch was prepared by Officers John Tesauro and Dustin Farahnak.
