UTPD Announcements: Welcome back to a new semester! The beginning of the semester can be a hectic time. UTPD wants to remind you of some basic crime prevention concepts. Protect yourself and keep your property with you or secured at all times. Don’t walk off with your laptop sitting on a table, your phone on the bleachers at the gym, or leave items visible in your car. Those are all 100 percent preventable crimes of opportunity. Your back-to-school list should include a padlock to use at UT’s many free lockers, such as the ones at Clark Field and Gregory Gymnasium. 1/12/2020, 3:00 p.m., 1900 San Jacinto Blvd. Welfare Check: UTPD received a report of a person jumping up and down on fruit in the planters near the Brazos Parking Garage. Officers checked the area to determine if the subject was alright. They found the subject was actually performing parkour stunts with friends and had been doing so throughout campus. All involved were friendly and cooperative. Officers explained that the stunt we observed was impressive, but also extremely dangerous and they could not continue. None in the group were UT Students or otherwise affiliated. They were given information about how to seek permission to practice on campus and the group left. Safety Tip: Unfortunately, parkour and skateboard stunts on UT’s property can damage benches and art installations or lead to serious injuries. Before coming to campus to perform these activities, seek written permission. In our experience, it is very unlikely that permission will be given except in cases where safety precautions exist, and the activity doesn’t disrupt normal activity (such as using benches and building entrances). Of course, riding a skateboard on campus is completely okay. UTPD recommends a helmet and a keen eye for dangers on the road. 1/15/2020, 1:00 p.m., 2246 Guadalupe St. Warrant Arrest: An officer observed a subject well-known to UTPD sitting on the window of the UT Co-Op. The officer spoke to staff who said the subject had been causing scenes inside the store. The problem was constant and causing stress to the staff and patrons. The officer went back outside and found the subject still there. The officer explained that the management of the Co-Op no longer consented to the subject entering their business. Whenever possible, UTPD uses a paper Criminal Trespass Warning and to fill it out, officers ask the subject to provide identification. In this case, the subject claimed they didn’t have any and immediately became belligerent, aggressively approaching the UTPD officer. The officer was able to de-escalate the situation verbally, but learned the subject was wanted for arrest for “Pedestrian in the Roadway.” The officer placed the subject under arrest. Safety Tip: Though the Co-Op is west of campus, this case is a good example of the community engagement work that UTPD and APD both do in this community. If you need help and you’re not sure which agency is responsible, just dial 911. 1/18/2020, 7:00 p.m., 1500 Red River St. Warrant Arrest/ Assault: The Dell Seton Medical Center at UT has its own security staff that coordinates with UTPD officers that work on site. This evening, a nurse was providing medical treatment when a patient picked up a box of gloves and struck the nurse in the mouth. A UTPD officer responded to a request for help from security and found the patient screaming and volatile. While completing the investigation, the officer determined that the patient was wanted for robbery. The patient was arrested for the warrant as well as the 2nd Degree Felony Assault on the nurse, and was transported to the Travis County Jail without additional incident. Safety Tip: ER nurses have a tough job, and the law gives them similar protection from assault as a uniformed officer. Hospitals are a place people find themselves on their worst days, which is why it’s important UTPD continue its strong cooperation with this facility. This Campus Watch was prepared by Officer D. Farahnak. Don’t forget to connect with UTPD via Twitter and Facebook, and remember you can reach out to your campus District Representative with any non-emergency concerns or questions you have. Other great social media resources include the Twitter feeds for UT Austin’s Office of Campus Safety and the Austin Police Department. To view our official crime log, visit: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/fasweb/utpd/nlogon/crimelog/
