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THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019
volume
119,
issue
NEWS
OPINION
LIFE&ARTS
SPORTS
Two freshman Texas legislators share similar experiences with ties to UT. PA G E 2
More of UT’s film screenings should highlight female-centric films. PA G E 4
Students experience financial strain during month-long government shutdown. PA G E 8
Three Longhorns receive invites to inaugural women’s tournament in Augusta. PA G E 6
UNIVERSITY
CITY
On alert: UTPD uses emergency system
UTPD reviews sexual assault cases to help assess past investigations By Emily Hernandez @emilylhernandez
Notification system aids in alerting students, increasing awareness.
The UT Police Department initiated their own internal review of University sexual assault cases after learning of a Texas Department of Public Safety audit reviewing Austin Police Department’s sexual assault cases. “Anytime there’s an issue in general that comes to the forefront … we look carefully at that and say ‘What if that were us?,’” UTPD chief David Carter said. The DPS audit released earlier this month detailed how APD incorrectly classified about a third of rape offenses from January, November and December 2017 as exceptionally cleared. This means the cases should still be investigated. Carter said UTPD interprets uniform crime reporting guidelines for exceptional clearance as having enough information to file charges but being unable to because of factors beyond their control, such as the death of the suspect or the victim refusing to cooperate. The clearance codes are technical terms used to report crime statistics to the FBI and to determine a case’s status. Carter said a case is generally closed through clearance by arrest, exceptional clearance or unfounded clearance, which means no crime occurred. UTPD looked at 36 exceptionally cleared cases from the past five years. They determined six cases would have been more accurately classified as inactive, which indicates police cannot further investigate the case with the information available, Carter said. In a press conference held Jan. 16, APD chief Brian Manley said he ordered a third party investigation in APD’s handling of sexual assault cases. Manley said APD also created a template requiring the detective in a sexual assault case to establish exceptional clearance only after being able to identify and locate the alleged offender, have probable cause to make an arrest and to have reason as to why the arrest is not being made.
By Mason Carroll @MasonCCarroll
ike clockwork each month, students receive a text, an email and hear sirens echoing across campus for the monthly emergency communications systems test. While this is a routine procedure, there are many reasons why it is necessary, said David Carter, chief of the UT Police Department. UTPD uses the emergency notification system to send text messages to students during urgent situations to inform students of actions they should take. They also use email and social media to spread information after an incident. “The challenge for police in general … is that we get out critical information that helps our community respond to circumstances when something is going on,” Carter said. Carter has been UTPD chief since 2013, and since then he said they have strengthened their communication systems and connected with the UT community on social media. “People rely on social media more than ever before in terms of getting information, so that is always something the police have been working on,” Carter said. Cruz Zamora, international relations and global studies sophomore, said he always checks the messages he gets
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from the emergency notification system. He said he pays attention to UTPD’s notifications because they contain helpful information, and he said he understands the importance of the monthly tests. “I think the (monthly alert tests are) good because it
shows that (UTPD is) willing to practice and keep us aware of everything that is going on and could happen,” Zamora said. UTPD uses different platforms to communicate different types of incidents. Carter said for emergencies they
| the daily texan staff
send out instructions for students through text message. For incidents that have been handled, they use social media and email. “(Distinguishing) when to use one media format over the
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SEXUAL
CAMPUS
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CAMPUS
Students dance the night away at ¡Bailando! By Alyssa Weinstein @alyssaw305
The Campus Events + Entertainment Mexican American Culture Committee hosted the 4th annual ¡Bailando! dance event on Wednesday evening, inviting students to dance and enjoy Latin American culture. Students of all cultures were encouraged to dance to the beats of Spanish music and try Latin American dances such as salsa, merengue, rancheros and corridos. “The purpose of ¡Bailando! is to serve as an event for students to dance the night away and the stress away that comes with being a college student,” said Andrea Hernandez, biochemistry senior and chair of Campus E + E Mexican American Culture Committee. The event was held in the Student Activity Center ballroom, which was decorated with flags from various Latin American countries. Campus E + E invited Kyle Clark, also known as DJ Motivate to orchestrate the music. “My hope is that if there are other students from other communities that are not Spanish speaking communities, that they can see how important music is to the Latin culture,” Clark said. “My role is to really make sure everyone has a good time to good music.” Throughout the night,
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Electric scooters become targets of vandalism, crime By Hayden Baggett @HaydenBaggett
angela wang | the daily texan staff Corporate communications freshman Karina Nino and her brother, biology junior David Nino, cumbia dance at the ¡Bailando! event Wednesday night. The event was hosted by Campus Events + Entertainment’s Mexican American Culture Committee at the SAC Ballroom.
The purpose of ¡Bailando! is to serve as an event for students to dance the night away and the stress away that comes with being a college student” ANDREA HERNANDEZ BIOCHEMISTRY SENIOR
about 200 students of various backgrounds and levels of expertise participated in the dancing at ¡Bailando!. Along with dancing and music, ¡Bailando! also offered modern day Latin American refreshments for students to snack on including hot Cheetos and cheese, aquas frescas, fruit cups and various Mexican candies. Philosophy senior Khoa Nguyen said he was able to live out his interest in Latin American dance at ¡Bailando!. “I took a social dance class at UT last semester and that just really took off. I found that I particularly like Latin
dances,” Nguyen said. “So during the winter break I took some Latin dance classes at a dance studio and now that I’m back at UT, there was this Latin dance event where I could show off my new moves so I decided that I should come.” Computer engineering senior Jose Camacho attended ¡Bailando! to get in touch with his own culture. “It looked like a fun event to have with my friends and it seemed like a good time so I decided ‘Why not?’” Camacho said. “I was raised on the border, so seeing the setup and refreshments offered really makes me feel I have a place here at UT.”
New speed bumps are ahead for Austin’s thousands of dockless scooters as they become a popular target for vandalism and criminal mischief. After the deployment of multiple scooter fleets in Austin in the past year alone, scooter-rental companies and students are now voicing concern over the vandalism of electric scooters. Brian Gawlik, mechanical engineering graduate student, said he is often inconvenienced by scooter vandalism. “Sometimes you’ll see like ten scooters downed across the sidewalk, and you have to step out in the street just to walk around them,” Gawlik said. Bird, the first company to launch electric scooters in Austin, is encouraging people to report irresponsible behavior and vandalism to scooters. “When Bird vehicles are vandalized … it’s like breaking windows in our own neighborhood,” a Bird spokesperson said in a statement. “We hope that when people see available Birds, they are mindful of our friends and neighbors who rely on our vehicles to get to work on time or make it to their next class or appointment.” Bird works with law enforcement and removes people from their app to combat vandalism, according to the statement. Lime, Jump and Lyft did not respond to The Daily Texan’s request for comment. Noelle Newton, spokesperson for the UT Police Department, said UTPD has not encountered
Sometimes you’ll see like ten scooters downed across the sidewalk, and you have to step out in the street just to walk around them” BRIAN GAWLIK
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING GRADUATE STUDENT
any instances of scooter vandalism but urged students to report any vandalism in progress. Gawlik said from his experience, it is often immaturity that motivates scooter vandals. “When I’ve seen people pushing them over or putting them in trees and stuff, it seems like they’re doing it to impress their friends,” Gawlik said. “It’s part of the general cynicism toward new technology, but at the same time, I feel like it’s also kind of trendy to hate scooters.” This trend can be represented by an Instagram account, @birdgraveyard, where posts are dedicated to scooter abuse and vandalism. Whether it be by smashing, burying or burning scooters, the page has caught national
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