>
>
>The University of California Police Department would like to take this 
>opportunity to wish the campus community a safe and happy holiday 
>season.  As part of that wish, we are providing information on campus 
>services operated by Public Safety and Transportation, as well as general 
>safety information.
>
>The Police Department offers services 24 hrs/day.  Some units within UCPD 
>will be closed or operate at reduced staffing during the break, but Patrol 
>Division will be fully staffed over the holidays.  Police services are 
>always available at our office in Room 1 Sproul Hall; enter via the south 
>basement doors on the Bancroft Ave side of the building.
>
>Daytime Shuttle Services serving the entire campus will discontinue 
>operation for the holiday break on Friday, December 21 at 9:00 pm and 
>resume operation at 6:52 am on Wednesday, January 2.  The Night Safety 
>Shuttles will discontinue operation at 2:00 am on Friday, December 21 and 
>resume operation at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, January 22.  This break in night 
>service includes the Owl Service operated by UCPD between 3:00 am and 6:00 am.
>
>The Night Escort Service operates every day of the year.  Winter hours are 
>6:00 pm to 2:00 am.  Service can be requested by calling 642-WALK 
>(642-9255).  Requests during the winter break are answered by the UCPD 
>Police Dispatcher.  There may be slight delays in escort dispatch if more 
>urgent police business is in-progress.
>
>The following tips are provided to help everyone avoid being the victim of 
>thefts or other problems that occur more frequently during this period:
>
>1. Campus thieves are more active during the holidays. They typically come 
>into large buildings during the lunch period (11 PM to 2 PM) and prowl 
>through office areas looking for wallets or packages. Employees in card 
>access controlled buildings should be alert to strangers attempting to 
>"tailgate" or follow an employee while they enter a building or floor. A 
>simple "Can I help you" or "Who are you looking for" may sort out the 
>potential thief from the legitimate visitor.
>
>2. Suspicious persons in buildings or office areas should be reported to 
>UCPD by dialing 9-1-1 from any telephone. NOTE: There is no longer a 
>requirement to dial an extra "9" prior to dialing 9-1-1 from campus telephones.
>
>If you are using a cellular telephone, we recommend that you do NOT dial 
>9-1-1 to report an emergency unless you are on a highway or out of your 
>home area because all cellular 9-1-1 calls are routed through the 
>California Highway Patrol and can experience significant delay. All 9-1-1 
>centers in California also maintain traditional 10-digit emergency 
>numbers.  To call UCPD from a cellular phone in an emergency, use our 
>10-digit emergency number 510-642-3333. We recommend that this number, as 
>well as local 10-digit emergency numbers for other areas that you 
>frequent, be programmed into convenient speed dial locations on your 
>cellular handset.  A list of 10-digit emergency numbers for many Bay Area 
>departments is contained on pages 71-72 of UCPD's 2001-2002 Safety Counts 
>booklet.
>
>3. People should avoid leaving their wallet or purse unattended in a 
>cubicle or office, particularly during the lunch period. Locking a wallet 
>in a desk or credenza will reduce the possibility of theft 
>significantly.  Similarly, packages should be secured in a locked room or 
>left where someone can watch them.
>
>4. People should make copies of their credit cards, checking account 
>statements, drivers license, and other critical documents they keep in 
>their wallet or purse along with the customer contact numbers to report 
>the loss of those cards and documents. The inventory should be stored in a 
>secure place both at work and at home. Major credit card companies such as 
>MasterCard and Visa offer a free service to consolidate the reporting of 
>lost or stolen credit cards which requires the employee to only make one 
>call. The loss of credit cards should also be reported to credit agencies 
>such as TRW to protect the employee from adverse credit reporting when the 
>card is misused.
>
>5. If purchases are made using credit cards, people should keep a copy of 
>the transaction as many companies offer free replacement of the purchased 
>item if it is lost or stolen within a certain period time.
>
>6. While shopping in malls, people should try to park in well lighted 
>areas as close to the mall as possible, as the majority of vehicle 
>burglaries occur in outer areas of the parking lot where there is less 
>foot traffic.  Packages should be stored in the vehicle trunk or covered 
>with a blanket or similar item if left in a station wagon, SUV, or other 
>vehicle with no trunk. People should use their auto alarm as noise does 
>tend to attract attention. Caution should also be used when parking in 
>BART lots and adjacent off street parking areas.
>
>7. People should use their home alarm system while they are away, 
>particularly during weekdays, as there is an increase in home burglaries 
>during this period. It is also helpful to place lights in a vacant home on 
>automatic timers to make a home appear to be "lived in" at night while you 
>are away.
>
>8. Finally, while everyone is enjoying all of the holiday festivities, 
>they should be mindful of the fact that traffic fatalities increase 
>dramatically during this period due to poor weather conditions and an 
>increase in alcohol consumption, particularly around New Years. Law 
>enforcement agencies increase their staffing during this time, and the use 
>of sobriety checkpoints is becoming widespread, particularly in the Bay 
>Area. Designated drivers at parties is a good tactic as is the use of a 
>taxi service which many cities provide for free on New Years Eve.
>
>Please pass this information on to the campus community along with our 
>wishes for a great and safe holiday season. If you would like to download 
>a copy of this information as a flyer for posting, a web version of this 
>bulletin can be found at:
>
>  http://public-safety.berkeley.edu/police/holiday.html
>
>Victoria L. Harrison
>Chief of Police
>
>====================>>>>UCBPD<<<<===================
>Crime Prevention Unit
>University of California Police Department, Berkeley
>Voice: (510) 643-8988
>FAX: (510) 643-2186
>e-mail: ucpolice@uclink.berkeley.edu
>Visit our website at http://www.police.berkeley.edu
>====================>>>Fiat Lux<<<====================