Although most students were not on campus over winter break, UTPD reported at least one instance of crime each day.
According to Campus Watch reports, UTPD recorded 125 crimes between the end of finals and the last day of break, including 21 instances of graffiti, 13 instances of theft and 10 incidents involving intoxication. Here are some of the most notable incidents:
On Jan. 6, UTPD spotted a man who was not affiliated with the University throwing objects into the turtle pond. Although the man told the officers he was feeding the turtles bagels, the officers asked him to stop. After the man stopped feeding the turtles when asked, he then walked away from the pond and started yelling. His actions resulted in a criminal trespass warning.
UTPD officers found a person who was not affiliated with UT sleeping on a bench inside the Engineering Teaching Center on Jan. 6. When the officers woke the person up, they found out the person had been issued a criminal trespass warning prior to that night, and consequently took the person into custody.
On Jan. 7, when a UT police officer saw a driver make an illegal turn onto a road and barely missed hitting a motocyclist, the police officer pulled the driver over. While questioning the driver, the police officer found out the driver did not have a valid driver’s license or proof of insurance. The officer determined the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol, and also found the driver had two additional arrest warrants for not appearing in court and another instance of driving without a valid license.
Police officers received a call on Jan. 8 about an intoxicated man inside the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center. The subject was found sleeping inside a restroom stall when officers arrived. When he was awakened, he was not able to tell the officers what the correct date was and the officers decided he had consumed so much alcohol that he was in danger and a danger to other people.
After a woman tried to trip a member of UT’s staff on Jan. 8 on Guadalupe Street, police officers found the suspect. The staff member was not injured and the woman admitted she did try to trip her. The woman also divulged the fact that she had been smoking marijuana beforehand.
An officer saw three men carrying street signs along San Jacinto Street on Jan. 9. Upon seeing the patrol car, the suspected sign thieves fled to Waller Creek. The subjects, all of whom were under the age of 21, were found to be intoxicated, and one was in possession of a fake ID. Police officers issued criminal trespass warnings to all of them.
