x
  
  

Public Safety


I. Introduction

Texas A&M International University police have full law enforcement authority and are vested with all powers, privileges, and immunities of peace officers while on the property under the control and jurisdiction of the institution or otherwise in the performance of his or her duties in any county in which property is owned, leased, rented, or otherwise under the control of the institution, including streets contiguous and traversing the TAMIU campus. Police officers perform a wide array of duties and services. Many of these are of a security nature, including securing buildings, motorist assistance, security escorts and general preventive patrol of buildings, parking lots and other campus areas. In addition to traditional vehicular patrol, alternative methods of patrol such as foot and bicycle patrol are employed.

TAMIU police officers are charged with protecting the safety and welfare of students, employees, and property of the institution in accordance with Texas law. In order to accomplish the university's mission, officers have attended a state certified police academy and have received certification and licensing by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE), must have successfully completed a minimum of 30 college credit hours and comply with state mandated bi-annual training requirements. Officers are well trained, well educated men and women, committed to the concept of community service, who protect a campus filled with professional, dedicated faculty, staff and students in a unique academic environment.

The TAMIU Police Department maintains excellent relations with the City of Laredo Police Department, the Webb County Sheriff's Office, the agencies of the United States' Department of Homeland Security (including the Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)) and other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. The Department has established liaison with the Laredo Community College Police Department, the United Independent School District Police Department and the Laredo Independent School District Police Department. Information about crimes and incidents is exchanged between agencies so crime trends and activities can be monitored.

II. Security Awareness and Crime Prevention

The TAMIU police department has several crime prevention programs available to the university community. These programs emphasize personal awareness and personal responsibility for protecting property and to reduce and prevent crimes.
  1. Alarm Systems - monitors several types of alarms from different locations on campus, these systems are designed to enhance personal safety, building security and environmental controls.
  2. Crime Prevention Presentations - conduct crime prevention and crime awareness presentations at student orientations and on request:
    1. Student Orientation - safety awareness and topics of interest for new university students
    2. Personal Safety- personal safety precautions.
  3. Crime Stoppers - the university benefits from the Laredo Crime Stoppers program.
  4. Motorist Assistance Programs - provides assistance to motorists with vehicle difficulties. The services range from jump-starts of vehicles, attempting to unlock locked vehicles, providing assistance with out-of-fuel vehicles, and assistance with flat tires.
  5. Dusty Trails- provides security escorts - walking, golf cart, police vehicle - to on campus locations;
  6. Emergency Telephones - UPD monitors and answers 4 Emergency Call blue light telephons found on campus by the soccer field and at housing facilities, emergency telephones in elevators and emergency telephones in university buildings that provide direct contact with the police dispatcher.
    The University Police Department contributes Part I Crime information to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), (the information is then forwarded to the U.S. Department of Justice's Uniform Crime Report, administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), and has made crime statistic information to interested parties. Statistics for this report are compiled from university police reports, incidents reported to public law enforcement agencies where the university owns or controls property, and from others who have "significant responsibility for student and campus activities" to whom individuals report criminal incidents they have not reported to police.