UTPD Announcements: Entertainment District Safety- Chief David Carter reminds any student or member of our UT community of an uptick in crime in the Entertainment District of the City of Austin. You are encouraged to travel in groups, have a sober friend with you to make critical decisions and call 911 to report any suspicious activity. Our partners at the Austin Police Department (APD) have increased their presence in the downtown area. The Texas Department of Public Safety will also have a noticeable presence there as well. On Sunday, President Greg Fenves announced safety changes to ensure that crime doesn’t enter our UT campus area. ● View President Fenves's message here: https://tinyurl.com/rhcf8n8 Chief Carter is committed to developing a plan to add more officers to the West Campus area as well as utilizing technology in the form of security cameras very similar to a system used by APD. Follow Chief Carter’s Twitter account @UTPDChiefCarter and be the first to know about our progress. VAN Network Info Session (2/4 at 9 a.m. & 2/10 at 11 a.m. at UPB, 2201 Robert Dedman Dr.) Calling all faculty and staff members! Please consider attending one of our information sessions about our Victims Advocate Network. Volunteers assist members of our UT community when they experience crime or other distressing events on campus. The true mission of Longhorns helping one another. More details here: https://police.utexas.edu/Events January 23, 2020, at 1:49 p.m, 2300 Guadalupe St. Possession of a Controlled Substance: A UTPD officer patrolling the Renaissance Market area on Guadalupe Street observed a person smoking a hand-rolled cigarette and detected the odor of synthetic cannabis (also known as K2 or Spice). The officer detained the person due to a suspicion they were in possession of K2, performed a search, and identified the person. The substance was seized and later tested with a reagent kit as K2. Safety Tip: K2 is a chemical usually sprayed onto shredded plant or paper material. It is intended to simulate chemicals naturally occurring in cannabis. Research shows that this synthetic material tends to bind more strongly to brain receptors than marijuana, often causing dramatically different effects and damage to the brain. Different batches of K2 can produce different effects including confusion, paranoia, and extreme anxiety. Part of policing the West Campus community involves deterring this drug’s presence and use. K2 is sometimes part of a downward spiral of self-medication for poor mental-health, only making the situation worse. For that reason, if you observe erratic behavior, steer clear and give us a call. January 24, 2020 at 4:51 a.m. 2504 Whitis Ave. (Jesse H. Jones Communications Center) Criminal Mischief/ Criminal Trespass: A UT employee in the Communications “A” building heard glass break and very appropriately called 911. Officers arrived quick enough to spot a person at a broken window. Due to prior interactions with UTPD, this person had criminal trespass warnings and was arrested on the spot. They were transported to the Travis County Jail without further incident. They received an additional Criminal Trespass Warning. Safety Tip: Contacting UTPD as soon as something is out of the ordinary, rather than a few hours later is often the difference that leads to a successful investigation. If you feel unsafe for any reason, we want to know. If you are studying or working in these buildings very early or very late, it’s important to develop some forward thinking strategies for safety. Know where other people are, leave the headphones and phone in your pocket, be mindful of your surroundings, and walk in groups. Develop a workplace and student culture that encourages walking to bus stops or garages in groups. If a group is not available, UT also has resources: ● SURE Walk provides students with a safe escort home via an accompanied walk, golf cart or vehicle every day from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. during the fall and spring semesters. Students and staff can call 512-232-9255. https://parking.utexas.edu/transportation/walking ● UT Night Rides provides a free Lyft ride from main campus to your home seven days a week from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Locations served mirror current UT Shuttle System routes. January 24th, 2020 at 11:10 p.m. 405 W 25th St. (Walter Webb Building) https://parking.utexas.edu/night Criminal Mischief: A UTPD officer patrolling West Campus observed 4 new pieces of graffiti on the building. They completed a report with photographs of the graffiti and placed a work order to have the graffiti removed. Safety Tip: Visible signs of crime create an environment that encourages further crime. Facilities Services and property owners in West Campus are invaluable partners in quickly repairing the results of graffiti, sending a clear signal that our community cares about itself and does not tolerate this behavior. Regardless of how many times graffiti is removed or other minor damage is restored, we must always invest some time in cleaning it up and investigating as a matter of crime prevention and community care taking. To that end, our partners at Facilities Services tirelessly responds to these issues, keeping campus beautiful. 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/
