Be it SXSW or any venue, the following tips will help keep you safe over Spring Break: Have a charged cell phone Know your location Travel in groups with at least one designated sober friend Every time you enter a building or event, identify at least two exits Keep valuables out of sight and secured Drink plenty of water Campus Watch: Below is a summary of campus criminal activity reported to or observed by The University of Texas at Austin Police Department between Sunday 3/10/19 and Saturday 3/16/19. 3/11/2019, at 8:05 p.m., 201 W. Dean Keeton St (Littlefield Residence Hall) Evading Arrest, Criminal Trespass, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Theft: UTPD received a report that a man had just stolen a bicycle. A night shift supervisor was in the area, spotted the thief, and gave chase on foot. A UTPD Bicycle Officer backed his sergeant up, also giving chase from relatively nearby. The bike officer was able to overtake the suspected bike thief and block his path, and the suspect was then arrested. As both officers had yelled “Police, Stop” while attempting to conduct a lawful detention, and the suspect intentionally fled, this behavior clearly constitutes evading. Evading is particularly dangerous to the community, and usually is a higher grade of offense than the initial crime. In this case, due to an enhancement for previous convictions, the grade of offense for evading was State Jail Felony. Officers were able to complete an investigation and determine their suspect had also committed Class B Misdemeanor theft. He was carrying eleven tools that would help defeat a bike lock, and also had marijuana and pipes. The suspect also had a Criminal Trespass Warning for all UT Property due to similar conduct in the past. The suspect was transported to Travis County Jail after receiving a new Criminal Trespass Warning. In addition to great teamwork by night shift officers, UTPD succeeded here because we received a quick 911 call. Under our Safer by the Slice program, anyone whose call leads to an arrest for a crime against person or property will receive a free pizza. 3/12/2019, at 3:24 p.m., 417 W. 17th St (Guadalupe Garage) Criminal Trespass: UTPD officers routinely check the garages around campus, and today they saw a man sleeping in a stairwell on the first floor. Unfortunately, this man was someone who had previously and recently received a Criminal Trespass Warning. In both this and the previous incident, the man was camping in a stairwell of one of our parking garages. Camping on campus is significant safety issue and is a violation of the Regents’ Rules. Typically, UTPD will issue a Criminal Trespass Warning in this situation, simply warning someone to leave campus and not return. When this man was arrested for trespassing and placed in the back of a police car, he became irate and began yelling and kicking the inside of the door. UTPD and Travis County Jail have a protocol for prisoners who are uncooperative and dangerous, and when our officer arrived at Travis County Jail (which is quite close to the Guadalupe Garage) the upset man was placed in an isolation cell. This man was then placed on a mental health hold. After medical screening occurred, mental health resources were made available. UT Austin has several spots our officers will check for sleepers, but our community of 70,000 will often see them first. Letting UTPD know about sleepers makes our campus safer. 3/12/2019, at 6:30 p.m., 1500 Red River St (Dell Seton Medical Center UT) Criminal Trespass: A woman entered the hospital and was eventually discharged by medical staff who were unable to find any medical issues to treat. She initially refused to leave, but a UTPD officer talked her into going. A few hours later, she returned, and again was discharged due to showing no medical issues, and again she refused to leave, becoming “verbally combative.” She received a Criminal Trespass Warning. A few hours later, she came a third time, with no medical issues, and when asked to leave became aggressive toward staff. When UTPD officers give someone a Criminal Trespass Warning, they read them a Notice to Leave that informs someone that returning is a crime, and they may be arrested if they return. Discretion is important to responsible policing, and UTPD is hesitant to arrest for Criminal Trespass at a hospital. Our decisions in those matters must be based on our first priority of safety. Due to the growing difficulty with this woman’s behavior towards hospital staff, it became clear the hospital was safer if action was taken, and the woman was arrested for Criminal Trespass and transported to the Travis County Jail without further incident. 3/16/2019, at 5:38 p.m. 1900 Comal (Lot 119) Theft: UTPD received a report that a man was carrying a sign at a UT Parking lot that read “Parking $20.” He was working with a woman by communicating via a handheld radio. Several people paid the man $20 and parked their cars in the lot. The man, who had no affiliation with UT, then left the area, and the vehicles in the lot each received a parking citation. The man was described as homeless in appearance, using a sit-down pedal bicycle. This sort of scam is not unheard of in Austin. Call UT Parking and Transportation or UTPD any time you are suspicious of a person claiming to take payment for parking. Around town, pay attention for signs at parking lots. If the lot says there’s no attendant, beware of any supposed attendants. If an attendant claims a pay box is broken, look at it yourself. Lot attendants should wear something with an official logo. If you are in doubt about their appearance, follow your instincts. Campus Wide: The University of Texas Police Department responded to 579 total calls for service, including 144 Alarm Activations, 97 Foot Patrols, 44 Traffic Violations, and 23 Welfare Concerns between Sunday 3/10/19 and Saturday 3/16/19. To view our official crime log, visit https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/fasweb/utpd/nlogon/crimelog/.
