Text Box: Protecting Your Future…Today

Text Box: On April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech University suffered a tragedy unlike any ever experienced in this country.  In light of this incident, the UTSA Police Department wants to keep you informed of our safety measures:   Does UTSA have an emergency plan? Yes.  You may visit the Office of Emergency Preparedness web site and view the emergency plan.   How does UTSA notify people in the case of an emergency? There are three primary methods the UTSA administration communicates the operational status of the university: 458-SNOW, UTSA Web sites, Local media.  Other methods of communication in cases of emergencies are mass e-mails to faculty, staff and students, the use of electronic bulletin boards located throughout campus, UTSA-TV (the on-campus television network) and reverse 911 phone calls to key locations to include academic and administrative buildings.    In addition, UTSA faculty, staff and students can call (210) 458-SNOW at any time for information about the Tri-Campus community regarding the status of classes and employee work schedules. The UTSA Office of University Communications will update two Web sites (UTSA home page and UTSA Today) with information related to the university's status.   What if I am suspicious about a person on campus?  What do I do? Any information that you feel could jeopardize the security of our campuses should be reported immediately to the UTSA Police Department at 210.458.4911. Suspicious or threatening behavior, if addressed immediately, may prevent a tragedy from occurring.  The Counseling Services office offers students and the campus community a variety of professional services.  Visit their web site at http://www.utsa.edu/counsel/index.htm for more info.   Am I safe on campus? The UTSA campus is a safe place; however, this does not mean that we are risk free.  Criminal activity can find its way onto our campus as it can in those communities which surround us.  Working together, we can ensure that existing risks are reduced if not eliminated.  Here are some ways you can help keep our campus safe: -  Lock your residence hall room door and windows. Even though you “know everyone on your floor,” you can’t control guests and visitors strolling the hallways. Same goes for off campus residences. -  Walk with a buddy late at night or in potentially dangerous situations. Whenever possible, use the UTSA Police Safety Escort system to help you get to your destination safely.  Call 210.458.4242 to schedule an escort. -  Be smart about your use of alcohol and other drugs. Being under the influence makes it difficult for you to think clearly. -  Get to know your UTSA police officers. Then, you won’t be so hesitant to call for help. -  Be careful about the information you choose to share online. Whether it’s in an away message or on a social networking site, more people have access to your profiles than you know. http://www.paper-clip.com/virginiatech/ I heard that putting ICE (in case of emergency) on my cell phone will help during an emergency. Is that true? Experts suggest programming the acronym “ICE” followed by the name and number of a family member or friend who EMTs, the police or hospital staff can contact if you are ill or unable to respond. These ICE folks should be available much of the time and know any of your important medical conditions. For example: ICE – Dorothy Lewis (mother), 555-121-1212 http://www.paper-clip.com/virginiatech/ Is the UTSA Police Department well trained to handle a shooting incident? All police officers with the UTSA Police Department are certified peace officers with the State of Texas.  UTSA police officers have either attended The University of Texas System Police Academy in Austin, Texas or other local regional peace officer academies.  Many have received 800+ hours of basic police training which is approximately 200 hours more than the state minimum requirement.  In addition, yearly in-service training is required of all UTSA police officers.  Most UTSA officers exceed the 20 hours per year required by the State of Texas.  Many officers have been trained in officer survival, low-light tactics and UTSA officers have received training in active shooter situations.   Does UTSA have a system to text message our cell phones in case of an emergency? Not at this time; however, we are actively seeking a system where this would be possible. How do I contact the UTSA Police Department? Our emergency telephone number is 210.458.4911 and is answered by our trained police dispatchers.  Use this number to alert us concerning suspicious activity, medical emergencies or crimes in progress.  Our non-emergency telephone number is 210.458.4242.  You can call us to schedule a Police Safety Escort, look for a lost and found item or for general information.  The Crime Prevention Unit can be reached at 210.877.4006 if you would like to schedule an officer for a presentation on campus safety and security for your group.   

Text Box: EMERGENCY 210.458.4911 Non-Emergency 210.458.4242   The University of Texas at San Antonio 210.458.4011 One UTSA Circle San Antonio, Texas 78249   Identity Guidelines  |  Policies  |  Emergency Preparedness  |  Required Links