Safety first, urges chief of police
Doug Abraham, chief of police for the University of Colorado Denver, offers the following campus safety advice.
Criminal activity:
The University Police Department has seen an increase in reported thefts from work areas. Please, don’t become a victim. Lock up your belongings. The first place a thief looks is inside a large desk drawer or in a file cabinet that is not locked. Lock these drawers. It takes 15 seconds to enter an empty office, open a drawer; take a purse and leave. Only 15 seconds. It will take you hours to contact credit card companies, replace your drivers license and of course those things that can never be replaced – in addition to the possibility of identity theft.
There also has been an increase in thefts from parked vehicles. Although most of the thefts have been from the vehicles parked in the hospital lots, HSC lots are certainly not immune. Do not make your car tempting to the thieves. Place anything of value out of site. Thieves will break out your window to steal a few pieces of change. Do not become a victim. Even if you only lose 50 cents, you still have to deal with fixing the window.
Reducing opportunity is a good way to reduce crime.
Traffic safety:
Traffic on both campuses is congested and can be confusing. The Ninth Ave. and Colorado Blvd. campus is a common place to find heavy traffic and pedestrians dodging vehicles. The Fitzsimons campus changes traffic patterns frequently, creating frustration for those of us that work here, not to mention visitors. Be patient and careful.
Vehicle operators:
Yield to pedestrians – and watch your speed. If you are at Fitzsimons driving over 25 miles per hour, you are speeding. And in many places, the speed limit is lower. The University Police Department is going to specifically watch for right of way and speeding violations. The construction at the Fitzsimons Campus has made traffic and pedestrian movement somewhat of a challenge. Driving around barricades that prohibit such movement is a traffic offense. Please, watch for changes in traffic movement, pedestrians, traffic direction personnel, etc. More people are injured on campus due to driving offenses than all other causation factors combined. Let’s work to reduce that number.
Pedestrians:
Watch for cars – and cross at the marked cross walks. But remember, a marked cross walk is designed to offer you visibility, not guarantee you can cross safely. Watch for traffic. Watch for cars and please do not challenge their movement assuming they see you. Cars always wins.
Please be alert to your surroundings. At the Fitzsimons campus, there are “Blue Poles” marked “POLICE” throughout the campus and in every parking lot. They are 9-foot poles with a blue light at the top. At the Ninth Ave. and Colorado Blvd. campus, there are direct connect phones at most main building entrances and at parking structures. All of these devices dial directly to the University Police Department Communication Center.
From any campus phone, you can report an emergency to the University Police by dialing 911. Please call extension 44444 in non-emergency events.
If you dial 911 from your cell phone, you will be answered by Denver or Aurora Police. This will delay the University Police response. To reach the University Police on campus from your cell phone, dial 303-724-4444.
