UTPD Announcements: Self-Defense Course Offerings Free, three day self-defense courses open to registration now. Sign up for either February 26-28 or April 6-8. The nightly sessions are held at UPB. Open to any UT community member. Register here: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/fasweb/utpd/classes/nlogon/ Victims Advocate Network Information Session The Victims Advocate Network (VAN) consists of UT employees, trained in Mental Health First Aid and Victim Advocacy, who volunteer for response to anyone who experiences a distressing event on campus. An information session will be held at UPB, February 10th from 11-11:45 a.m. If interested in attending, email Marica Kelley, at victims-network@austin.utexas.edu. January 28, 2020, at 11:00 P.M., 2100 Guadalupe St. Driving While Intoxicated: A UTPD officer was driving when a vehicle almost collided with their patrol vehicle. The vehicle continued to veer unpredictably, so the officer initiated a traffic stop. The driver said they drank several alcoholic beverages before driving home for the night. After conducting the usual tests, the officer felt it was clearly unsafe for the driver to continue to drive home and arrested them. The driver declined to provide a sample of their blood so the officer executed a search warrant for it at the Travis County Jail. In Texas, when a driver is arrested for DWI and refuses to provide a sample of breath or blood, their driver's license is seized, sent to DPS, and suspended for a period longer than the suspension for DWI itself. Safety Tips: -Have a sober ride home. Designate a friend to be the sober driver or call a rideshare. -Stick together. If you notice that a friend has had too much to drink and is stumbling or slurring their words, encourage them to slow down and drink some water. Help each other get home safely. -Don’t hesitate to call 911 or EMS if someone is heavily vomiting or becomes unresponsive. UTPD’s primary concern is getting medical attention to the person that needs it. January 31, 2020, at 11:49 p.m., 2605 Whitis Ave (Kinsolving Residence Hall). Medical Emergency: UTPD received a 911 call from a student saying their roommate was intoxicated and needed medical attention. EMS and UTPD officers responded to their room, finding that the person had vomited several times. After an evaluation period, EMS determined that the student was not in any danger and officers left them in the care of their roommate with some safety tips and instructions to contact UTPD if there are further developments. Safety Tip: Alcohol safety is a constant area for education in our community, and in this case we are pleased that a student knew that calling UTPD was the best solution to an alcohol-related emergency. Due to our public safety focus, we will not attempt to investigate these situations as a criminal matter. Our priority is the safety of students, and we understand that giving a ticket or making an arrest could create a barrier that could stop someone from getting emergency help. When UTPD does make arrests for Public Intoxication, we always rely on the Sobering Center unless circumstances (such as violence) make that unsafe. In this situation, the matter was resolved successfully with no charges considered. Learn more about Student Amnesty by following this link: https://www.healthyhorns.utexas.edu/amnesty.html 1/28/2020 at 5:56 p.m., 2501 Whitis Ave (Carothers Residence Hall) Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor: UTPD received a call reporting an unconscious and unresponsive student. Officers found evidence that the student had combined pills and alcohol. EMS arrived quickly and were able to provide enough treatment to wake the student. The student was transported to the hospital. No charges were pursued despite the student being underage. Safety Tip: Combining alcohol and prescription medication can produce what police call a “synergistic effect” with extremely dangerous consequences. Possessing prescription medication that does not belong to you is illegal. UTPD’s enforcement discretion is always based on our mission (“To Keep You and our UT Community Safe”). If you see someone taking it too far, letting UTPD know is the best way to protect your friend’s life, and also the best way to avoid criminal penalties. Learn more about what happens when you mix prescription medication with alcohol by watching this video: https://vimeo.com/141927745 This Campus Watch was prepared by Officers Ena Becirovic and Dustin 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/
