AUSTIN, Texas — Students are worried about their safety after a rash of incidents in and around the University of Texas. Crimes of opportunity are common in west campus. Police said criminals keep an eye out for valuable left out in the open inside cars.
“They see that they’re going to open the door and grab it and run away with it," said Lieutenant Zac Pruett of the Austin Police Department. ”For west campus area, in general, that’s our biggest problem is property crimes."
But recently, the nature of the area's crimes has taken a turn. The University of Texas Police Department is investigating a case of indecent exposure outside of the Thai How Are You restaurant on Guadalupe Street. At nearby 25th and Pearl Streets, another UT student reported being groped. Last month, a man was arrested for punching a woman up on 26th street.
“It’s really scary because we walk around here all the time and we’re always out," said Sarah Cummings, a first-year student at UT who lives in the area. "For that to happen so nearby where we live, it's really concerning."
Pruett said the department's community policing efforts not only work to foster relationships with students, but also educate them about the importance of reporting incidents.
"We have crime analysts that will show areas where there's a concentration of crimes, and we react to them and we put officers out there," he said. "When there's an underreporting of any crimes we just don’t know to be there."
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Since May, UT has also taken steps to increase campus safety measures.
- Increased police patrols by UTPD, Austin Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety. These law enforcement partners have also increased patrols west of campus.
- Increased lighting in specific areas on campus.
- Reduced vegetation in specific areas on campus.
- Installing new security systems in buildings.
- Increased monitoring of UT and UTPD social media channels.
- Encouraging UT community to be proactive in personal safety through the Be Safe campaign.
Separately, the City of Austin is conducting a study on street lighting in West Campus, with a focus on pedestrian safety. Through a survey, the Austin Transportation Department is asking people whether or not they feel safe and secure in the neighborhood. There's also an option to designate on a map where someone would like to see more lighting. The survey closes January 1.
"Lighting has a big role to play in public safety both from a crime stand point and also a traffic safety perspective," said Joel Meyer, a pedestrian coordinator.
The transportation department, APD and Austin Energy plan to conclude the study and present finding to the City Council by spring of next year.
Sometimes, the best measures are in the mind.
"Knowing what's going on around you, may lessen the opportunity that you could be a victim," Pruett said.