blog

NITE RIDE Offers Extended Hours for Finals Week

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:00:00 -0500

For the final exam week NITE RIDE will have extended hours from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. beginning Sunday, May 6, 2012 through 6 a.m. Friday May 11, 2012. Please see NITE RIDE for more information. The Main Library is open 24 hours starting Sun, December 11th through Fri, Dec 16th, 10 p.m. The IMU is open 24 hours.

UI Police Receive Two Reports of Attempted Cell Phone Thefts

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:29:14 -0500

University of Iowa Police received two reports Wednesday, April 18 of attempted robberies of people carrying cell phones on the east side of the UI campus.

In one anonymous report, a caller was walking along Market Street around 2:10 p.m. when two men tried unsuccessfully to grab a cell phone out of the victim’s hands. The assailants are described as two black males wearing hooded sweatshirts and sunglasses.

In another incident, a victim reported walking under the railroad overpass along the Iowa River near Danforth Chapel at 3:10 p.m. when a man unsuccessfully attempted to grab the victim’s cell phone. The assailant is described as a light skinned black male wearing a gray pullover hooded sweatshirt, dark khaki cargo pants, and white tennis shoes.

Anyone with information about these incidents should call the UI Police at 319-355-5022 or Iowa City Crimestoppers at 319-358-TIPS. Callers to Crimestoppers with information leading to a conviction may be eligible for a reward. UI Police would also like to talk to the person who reported the first incident.

Meanwhile, the Iowa City Police and the UI Police recommend that members of the public avoid people behaving suspiciously and call 911 immediately when suspicious activity is observed.

This information is being released in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. The Clery Act requires all colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to keep and disclose information about crime on and near their respective campuses, including timely warnings of crimes that may represent a threat to the safety of students or employees.

Police receive two reports of indecent exposure

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:38:00 -0500

Iowa City Police recently received two reports about a man exposing himself.

On April 9 at about 1:20 p.m. a woman reported she was walking in the 200 block of Church Street when a man asked for help. When the woman approached she saw that the man’s pants were down and that he was exposing himself to her. The suspect is described as a white male in his middle 30’s wearing a black knit beanie.

On April 9, 2012, at about 2:40 p.m. a woman reported she was in her apartment building in the 1000 block of Newton Road when she saw a man standing in the hallway. He was wearing a shirt but was naked from the waist down. The suspect is described as a white male wearing a hat and a t-shirt.

In each incident the suspect fled the scene before police arrived. It is unknown if the incidents are related.
Anyone with information about these incidents should call the Iowa City Police at 319-356-5275 or Iowa City Crimestoppers at 319-358-TIPS. Callers to Crimestoppers with information leading to a conviction may be eligible for a reward.

Meanwhile, the Iowa City Police and the University of Iowa Police recommend to avoid anyone behaving suspiciously and to call 911 immediately.

Cell Phone Snatched from Student

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:49:25 -0600

On 3/9/12 the UI Police received a report of a cell phone being snatched from the hand of a student near Burge Hall. No weapons were used and no injuries occurred. For more information please see our Facebook page.

UI Police Offer Violent Incident Training

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:30:00 -0600

Classes for Violent Incident Survival Training for Spring 2012 have been posted. Click here for more information.

UI Issues Hawk Alert for Attempted Robbery at Hubbard Park

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:46:34 -0600

On February 2, 2012 at about 1:36 p.m. a UI student was walking with a friend along the sidewalk of Hubbard Park just south of the IMU when a man approached her and asked to use her cell phone. The suspect grabbed the student with one hand and displayed a pocketknife with another. The student got away from her attacker and he left the area in a vehicle. The student was not injured.

The suspect vehicle was later located and the suspect was dropped off at Washington and Capitol prior to the vehicle being stopped by UI Police. After UI and Iowa City Police could not immediately locate the suspect a Hawk Alert was issued by the UI Police. The suspect is still at large.

The suspect is described as a 35-40 year old white male, 5'10" tall, weighing 180 lbs. He had red/blondish thinning hair and a receding hairline and was wearing glasses. He was last seen wearing a dirty red zip up sweatshirt with a hood, and a dark colored undershirt.

Police are seeking anyone with information about this incident to call UI Police at (319) 335-5022.

UI Police encourage students to walk in groups and call 911 immediately when a crime occurs which happened in this case. Also please do not pick up strangers or hitchhikers rides in your car.

UI Police Issue Timely Warning

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:26:16 -0600

UI student reports sexual assault

On the morning of Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, the Iowa City Police Department (ICPD) responded to a report of a possible sexual assault from a female University of Iowa student who resides off campus. Since the reported assault occurred on campus, ICPD turned the case over to the UI Police, and it is currently under investigation by the UI Police. During the preliminary investigation, it was reported that the assault occurred in the area of the Becker Communication Studies Building or the Communications Center between midnight and 2 a.m. of the 20th. The suspect is a college-age white male with brown hair.

UI Police recommend people walk in groups as much as possible and report crimes immediately by calling 911. They also encourage the use of NITE Ride, Cambus, or other reliable transportation services. The UI Police offers Rape Aggression Defense training which is self-defense training for women. For more information please contact the UI Police at 319-335-5022 or police@uiowa.edu.

If you have any information regarding this crime, call the University of Iowa Police at 319-335-5022 or Iowa City Crimestoppers at 319-358-TIPS. Callers to Crimestoppers with information leading to a conviction may be eligible for a reward. Confidential victim advocacy services are available for all community members through the Rape Victim Advocacy Program's 24-hour crisis line at 319-335-6000. Visit http://www.uiowa.edu/~rvap/ for more information

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Iowa City, IA 52242-2500

MEDIA CONTACT: Tom Moore, 319-356-3945, thomas-moore@uiowa.edu

UI Police are #5 on Twitter

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:06:24 -0600

The International Association of Chiefs of Police Center for Social Media recently ranked the University of Iowa Police Twitter account the fifth most popular among college law enforcement agencies, based on the number of its followers. The University of Iowa Police have created a twitter account at: http://twitter.com/UIowa_Police

About Twitter

Twitter is an information network made up of 140-character messages called Tweets. It's a new and easy way to discover the latest news (“what’s happening”) related to subjects you care about.

Crime Prevention News - Beware of Fraud

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:57:41 -0600

See the newest Crime Prevention Newsletter for more more information on safety on the University of Iowa Campus. Join a class, get involved. See the newest issue here.

Learn more about UI Police from this Video

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 07:31:01 -0600

Learn more about our department. See our new video.

Map of AED Locations

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 07:20:57 -0500

A new map has been created that shows the locations of AED's on campus. Before using AED's please seek trainng from the American Heart Association and remember to call 911 first so professional help is on the way. Please click here to see the map.

New Fingerprinting Fee

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:55:17 -0500

Beginning July 1, 2011 the UI Police will begin charging $10 for fingerprinting services. The department will take VISA, Mastercard, Discover, or personal check but not cash at this time. These fees will be used to cover the costs of the fingerprinting services and equipment. We encourage community members to still bring in their own fingerprint cards however we can provide blank FBI applicant cards. For more information go here.

UI Police Offer More VIST Opportunities

Mon, 02 May 2011 07:39:52 -0500

Classes for Violent Incident Survival Training for the rest of 2011 have been posted. Click here for more information.

UI Continues Weapons Policy on Campus

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:15:05 -0600

In response to the new gun laws in Iowa beginning on January 1, 2011, University of Iowa spokesperson Tom Moore said the University of Iowa can continue to claim an exemption from the new laws, which will allow the University to continue to prohibit guns on campus.

Threat Assessment Team (TAT) Website

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:06:31 -0500

The University of Iowa has launched a new Threat Assessment Team (TAT) Website at: http://www.uiowa.edu/hr/tat/

About the Threat Assessment Team

The University of Iowa established a Threat Assessment Team (TAT) to implement the Iowa Board of Regents’ comprehensive safety and security policy (Chapter 11) that includes a charge to provide comprehensive threat assessment and management services. The TAT combines expertise in the areas of law enforcement, mental health, student services, organizational effectiveness, employment law and other legal issues.

Safety Guidelines for Armed Subjects, Active Shooter Situations

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:06:15 -0500

An active shooter is a person who appears to be actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area; in most cases active shooters use firearm(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. These situations are dynamic and evolve rapidly, demanding immediate deployment of law enforcement resources to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to innocent victims. This document provides guidance to faculty, staff, and students who may be caught in an active shooter situation, and describes what to expect from responding police officers.

Guidance to faculty, staff, and students

In general, how you respond to an active shooter will be dictated by the specific circumstances of the encounter, bearing in mind there could be more than one shooter involved in the same situation. If you find yourself involved in an active shooter situation, try to remain calm and use these guidelines to help you plan a strategy for survival.

If an active shooter is outside your building, proceed to a room that can be locked, close and lock all the windows and doors, and turn off all the lights; if possible, get everyone down on the floor and ensure that no one is visible from outside the room. One person in the room should call 911, advise the dispatcher of what is taking place, and inform him/her of your location; remain in place until the police, or a campus administrator known to you, gives the “all clear.” Unfamiliar voices may be the shooter attempting to lure victims from their safe space; do not respond to any voice commands until you can verify with certainty that they are being issued by a police officer.
If an active shooter is in the same building you are, determine if the room you are in can be locked and if so, follow the same procedure described in the previous paragraph. If your room can’t be locked, determine if there is a nearby location that can be reached safely and secured, or if you can safely exit the building. If you decide to move from your current location, be sure to follow the instructions outlined below.
If an active shooter enters your office or classroom, try to remain calm. Dial 911, if possible, and alert police to the shooter’s location; if you can’t speak, leave the line open so the dispatcher can listen to what’s taking place. Normally the location of a 911 call can be determined without speaking. If there is absolutely no opportunity for escape or hiding, it might be possible to negotiate with the shooter; attempting to overpower the shooter with force should be considered a very last resort, after all other options have been exhausted. If the shooter leaves the area, proceed immediately to a safer place and do not touch anything that was in the vicinity of the shooter.

No matter what the circumstances, if you decide to flee during an active shooting situation, make sure you have an escape route and plan in mind. Do not attempt to carry anything while fleeing; move quickly, keep your hands visible, and follow the instructions of any police officers you may encounter. Do not attempt to remove injured people; instead, leave wounded victims where they are and notify authorities of their location as soon as possible. Do not try to drive off campus until advised it is safe to do so by police or campus administrators.

What to expect from responding police officers

Police officers responding to an active shooter are trained to proceed immediately to the area in which shots were last heard; their purpose is to stop the shooting as quickly as possible. The first responding officers will normally be in teams of four (4); they may be dressed in regular patrol uniforms, or they may be wearing external bulletproof vests, Kevlar helmets, and other tactical equipment. The officers may be armed with rifles, shotguns, or handguns, and might be using pepper spray or tear gas to control the situation. Regardless of how they appear, remain calm, do as the officers tell you, and do not be afraid of them. Put down any bags or packages you may be carrying and keep your hands visible at all times; if you know where the shooter is, tell the officers. The first officers to arrive will not stop to aid injured people; rescue teams composed of other officers and emergency medical personnel will follow the first officers into secured areas to treat and remove injured persons. Keep in mind that even once you have escaped to a safer location, the entire area is still a crime scene; police will usually not let anyone leave until the situation is fully under control and all witnesses have been identified and questioned. Until you are released, remain at whatever assembly point authorities designate.