Crime Prevention

Many campus crimes are  incidents of opportunity. Each of us contribute to the crime rate by needlessly placing ourselves or our property at risk. When we recognize our vulnerability to crime, we can reduce risk through preventive action and cooperation with the police.

Example: theft is the most common crime on the UHCL campus. Most occur during daylight hours; thieves take advantage of opportunity in our buildings, parking lots, and work spaces. Watch out for one another. Exchange information about your schedule with colleagues and watch your neighbors’ rooms and work areas.

We can do little about a criminal's motivation, but we can do our part to reduce the opportunity to commit a crime. Like a fire feeding on oxygen, crime feeds on opportunity, so we encourage you to engage in these personal crime prevention efforts as the best defense against criminal acts.

• Be cautious, careful and alert
• Protect your possessions and university property
• Keep property locked, if possible
• Lock your office door when leaving and do not leave valuables unattended
• Walk to your vehicle with another person or in a group
• Trust your self-preservation instincts
• Report suspicious persons or activity to the police as soon as it is safe for you to do so
• Use the SafeZone App or call dispatch directly (281-283-2222)

University Police

Phone: 281-283-2222
Email: policechief@uhcl.edu

2700 Bay Area Blvd.
Houston, TX 77058

Office hours: 24/7

Office of Title IX and Equal Opportunity Services

David D. Brittain, Jr.
Title IX Coordinator and Equal Opportunity Officer

Phone: (281) 283-2305
brittaind@uhcl.edu 

2700 Bay Area Blvd., Bayou B2323

CARE Team Information

Are you concerned about a currently enrolled UHCL student? Please consider making a report to the Crisis Awareness Response Emergency (CARE) Team for students with behavioral issues or other problems that are interfering with student success and functioning. 

Referrals are made to the Dean of Students Office so a CARE Team representative can contact the student and provide resources and support:

CARE Concern Report: 281-283-2273

Dean of Students

Phone: 281-283-2567
Email: deanofstudents@uhcl.edu
www.uhcl.edu/deanofstudents

SSCB 1201
2700 Bay Area Blvd, Box 195
Houston, TX 77058-1002

Office hours: Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Please call ahead during holidays and semester breaks.

Counseling and Mental Health Center

Phone: 281-283-2580
Fax: 281-283-2602
www.uhcl.edu/cmhc

SSCB 3103
2700 Bay Area Blvd, Box 331
Houston, TX 77058-1002

Regular office hours:
Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Please call ahead during holidays and semester breaks.

Health Services

Phone: 281-283-2626
Fax: 281-283-2624
Email: healthservices@uhcl.edu
www.uhcl.edu/health

SSCB 1.1301
2700 Bay Area Blvd, Box 260
Houston, TX 77058-1002

Office hours:
Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Please call ahead during holidays and semester breaks.

Engage the university community to participate in their own protection and safety through community outreach and crime prevention programs.

Programs are scheduled throughout the year, are free of charge, and announced regularly through e-mail and social media. Departments, classes, and student organizations can make specific requests as needed.

To request a particular program, email police@uhcl.edu. If you would like a topic presented that is not specifically listed above, we can specially design a presentation tailored to your concerns or interests.

A multi-media community outreach method using visuals broadcast on campus televisions and computers to reach as many community members as possible. The focus is education for the community to take part in their own safety in subjects such as:

• Staying alert
• Knowing where to find additional safety information
• Minimizing changes of victimization
• Hot button campus safety issues

Skimmers are illegal devices that steal your personal information. Commonly found on ATMs and gas station card readers; most use Bluetooth technology. 

How can I avoid skimmers?

• Make sure the gas pump panel is closed and shows no signs of tampering. Many stations place security seals over the cabinet panel as a deterrent. If the panel is opened, the label will read "void," which means the machine has been tampered with.
• Examine the card reader itself; compare it to other readers at the station and note any differences.
• Use debit cards as credit to protect your PIN. Cover the keypad when entering your PIN; some scammers use pinhole cameras to record PIN entries.
• Regularly monitor your credit card and bank accounts and statements to ensure there aren't any unauthorized charges.
• Pay inside instead of at the pump, or use a pump cluster to the front of the store, as criminals are less likely to target gas pumps that are easy for station attendants to see.

The holiday season is a popular time of year for burglary, theft and other criminal activity. Here are some tips to prevent holiday crimes:

• Keep your vehicle's doors locked and windows closed. Lock your store purchases and gifts in your trunk to keep them out of sight.
• Avoid being observed storing purchases in your truck; if a thief knows it's there, they might come get it.
• Always lock your doors and windows when you leave your home, even if you'll only be gone for a few minutes.
• Avoid leaving expensive purchase boxes at the curb; this tells thieves what you have in your house. Fold, dismantle and conceal that flat-screen TV box before putting it out.
• Have your keys in your hand before going to your car; look around for persons invading your personal space or if you're being followed.
• Before entering your car, scan the interior through the windows to be sure no one is hiding inside.
• Don't openly display your Christmas tree and gifts in the front window
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Use checks or credit/debit cards if possible.
• Carry your purse under your arm; keep your wallet in an inside jacket pocket, not a back pocket.
• Use a light timer when you are away from home at night, or turn on a radio or television to create the illusion that the house is occupied.
• Ask a neighbor to pick up your newspapers and mail while you're away from home, or have the post office and newspaper suspend delivery until you return.
• Be aware of strangers approaching you for any reason. During the holiday season; "con-artists" try various methods of distracting you so they can steal from you.
• To discourage purse-snatchers, don't overburden yourself with packages and bags. Have your items delivered whenever practical.
• If you elect at-home delivery, retrieve the packages as quickly as possible, or arrange for them to be delivered in an area where they can't be easily seen.

Stalking is a series of actions that make you feel afraid or in danger. These actions can be serious and violent, and can escalate over time.

Facts

What is stalking?
Stalking is a series of actions that make you feel afraid or in danger. These actions can be serious and violent, and can escalate over time.

• A stalker can be someone you know or a stranger.
• Most stalkers dated or were otherwise involved with the people they stalk.
• About 75 percent of stalking cases involve men stalking women

Myths

• Stalking only happens to celebrities
• If you ignore a stalker, they will leave you alone
• The notion of stalking is an illusion
• If you claim you're being stalked, you're overreacting

What should I do if I'm being stalked?

• Keep evidence - screenshots, texts, emails, photos
• When the stalker follows or contacts you, note the time, date and place - most smartphones capture this data within photographs; take a picture of the floor
• Photograph any part of your property that the stalker damages or frequents
• If there are witnesses to the behavior, ask them to write down what they saw
• Tell family, friends, roommates and coworkers about the stalking, and seek their support
• Contact law enforcement. Tell the police at your school and ask them to help watch out for your safety.

What should I do if I believe I am in immediate danger?

• If you are on campus - call UHCL PD directly at 281-283-2222, or use the SafeZone App
• If you are off campus, call 911
• Trust your instincts; don't downplay the danger
• If you feel you are unsafe, you probably are
• Take all threats seriously
• Danger generally is higher when the stalker talks about suicide or murder, or when a victim tries to end a relationship

What is an active shooter event?

An active shooter event is an attempted mass murder with a firearm.

What is the typical profile of an active shooter?

Although there is no set "profile" for active shooters, most shooters are male and come from all races and ages. What they have in common is the avenger mindset. Many are focused and deliberate with their actions, but also detached;  many kill themselves when confronted by the police. Some announce their intentions by posting on social media or talking to their friends.

Your response to an active shooter event?

• Avoid - Avoid the threat, if possible. Know your exits, call 911, and consider secondary exits like windows.
• Deny: Deny access to you and your space. Turn off the lights; barricade the doors; use belts to secure door hinges; place obstacles in the way.
• Defend: If you cannot Avoid or Deny, be prepared for an encounter. Defend yourself; fight back.
• When police arrive - show your hands; follow instructions.

Law Enforcement Response / Priority

• Law enforcement priority is to stop the threat followed immediately by evacuation of the injured and securing the area.

To request CRASE training, email policechief@uhcl.edu

If you receive a package at home or work, consider the following:

• If there's a return label, do you know the sender?
• Is the package properly labeled? Are there misspellings, excessive postage, or generic addresses or titles?
• Were you expecting the package? Is the package something that you ordered or regularly receive?
• Was the package delivered by a common carrier such as Amazon, FedEx, UPS, or the United States Postal Service?
• Does the package appear damaged, or are there oily stains, discolorations, protruding wires, or a strange odor?

It is important that you do not touch a suspicious package. The package (or letter) will be evaluated by the responding police officer and, if necessary, explosive disposal experts will be called in to further handle the situation.

When in doubt, call your local police department. On the UHCL campus, call 281-283-2222 or use the SafeZone App.

If you need a law enforcement response on campus, service is faster and more accurate by calling UHCL PD Dispatch directly (281-283-2222), or using the SafeZone App. 

The same applies to medical emergencies on campus. Call UHCL PD Dispatch (281-283-2222) or use the SafeZone App. Thoroughly describe the medical emergency's nature; a UHCL Police Officer will check by and ensure EMS arrives to the proper location.

Accidental 911 Dialing

Accidental 911 calls happen, particularly when calling a long-distance number from a UHCL line (e.g., 9, 1-800-555-5555). If you accidentally dial 911, stay on the line. Tell the operator that you dialed 911 by mistake and that there is no emergency. UHCL police officers will still check by to ensure that there are no threats in the area.

UHCL Police Officers respond to all 911 hang-up calls as life-threatening emergencies.

The Houston area is prone to flooding and flash flooding during severe weather at any time of year. 

When a tropical storm or hurricane is imminent, visit www.ready.gov/hurricanes for more information. 

At all times of year, you should be monitoring the news for severe weather alerts. If a severe weather warning advises you to stay where you are, STAY. Even if you believe it is safe to travel outside, the waters can begin to rise quickly and without warning. Consider carrying with you at all times essential supplies and clean clothes in the event that severe weather may prevent you from returning home.

If you do find yourself outside in severe weather, do not drive around barricades or emergency vehicles. Do not drive onto water covered roadways, as you do not know for certain how deep the water is, and it may take only inches of water to float your vehicle off the roadway and into floodwaters. TURN AROUND. DON'T DROWN!

It is common to receive fraudulent emails purporting to be from your employer, school, service provider, bank, credit card company, etc.

The senders of these emails share a common goal: to infect your device with malware, or to convince you to provide your personal information.

Simple solution - NEVER CLICK LINKS IN EMAILS.

If an email from your coworker is odd, call them and ask if they sent it.

Report Phishing scams or other suspicious emails to Security@uhcl.edu. 

The most frequent reported and easily preventable crime on the UHCL campus is theft.

• Never leave property unattended, even to go to the restroom for a moment.
• Use a high-quality, heavy U-lock on your bicycle rather than a cable lock.
• Try to park in well-lit, heavily travelled areas. Lock your car doors.
• Hide any property left in your vehicle. When possible, leave valuables at home.
• Lock and close your doors while refueling your vehicle.
• Avoid using your cell phone in public, so you can focus on what's going on around you.
• Carpool or walk to classes with friends. 
• When visiting the bank or ATM, put your cash away immediately. Take your receipt in case of an ATM error.
• Sign up with your bank and credit card companies to get text alerts every time your card is used.

Remember!

• No legitimate business or government office will ever ask you to send money through purchasing prepaid credit cards or gift cards. This is always a scam.
• The IRS, Immigration, or police department, with NEVER call and say you or your family will be arrested if you do not send money. If you receive this call, contact law enforcement.
• Avoid sending intimate photos of yourself to ANYONE! In some cases, the person threatens to distribute them publicly unless you send money. Even if you send money, there is no guarantee it will not happen again.
• Don't send money to anyone claiming to have personal passwords or know embarrassing secrets about you. Contact law enforcement.

Social media is part of our lives. It is great for staying connected, but there are drawbacks.

• Privacy and security settings exist for a reason: Learn about and use the privacy and security settings on social networks.
• Once posted, always posted: Protect your reputation on social media networks. What you post online stays online.
• Your online reputation can be a good thing: Recent research also found that recruiters respond to a strong, positive personal brand online.
• Keep personal info personal: Be cautious about how much personal information you provide on social networking sites.
• Know and manage your friends: Social networks can be used for a variety of purposes.
• Be honest if you're uncomfortable: If a friend posts something about you that makes you uncomfortable or seems inappropriate, let them know.
• Know what action to take: If someone is harassing or threatening you, remove them from your friends list, block them and report them to the site administrator. Contact law enforcement, if necessary.

Awareness is our first line of defense.

• 11.2% of all students experience rape, or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation (among all graduate and undergraduate students).
• Among graduate and professional students, 8.8% of females and 2.2% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.
• Sexual violence happens in every community. Nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 67 men in the US have experienced rape or attempted rape at some time in their lives.
• Many of these crimes go unreported.
• Don't be afraid, be informed.