First Campus 'Night Out' To Promote Public Safety

Sept. 18, 2014
SHSU Media Contact: Julia May

The Sam Houston State University Police Department will present “Bearkats Fight the Night” on Wednesday (Sept. 24) from 7-9 p.m. in Bearkat Plaza.

Hosted by the department’s Community Out-Reach Efforts program, the event will provide students, staff, faculty, and visitors the opportunity to meet and greet each other, as well as meet and learn from various local public safety professionals in an interactive learning environment.

With the activity, SHSU is joining other higher education institutions across the nation in recognizing National Campus Safety Awareness Month in September.

“The concept for ‘Bearkats Fight the Night’ is based on National Night Out, which promotes involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie,” said UPD Officer Jeff Butterworth, a member of the department’s CORE program.

“We feel that our event will be a fun and informative way for members of the university and Huntsville communities to become better acquainted with each other and learn ways to be positive members of their local neighborhoods,” said Butterworth. “We also want to make students, faculty and staff aware of the many resources available to help them have a safe and productive school year.”

During the evening, UPD officers will be on hand to provide assistance with the department’s property registration program, as well as give safety information for on- and off-campus living.

“Those who are interested in the property registration program can bring their cell phones, laptops, electronic notebooks, Xboxes, and other devices so that we can put specific information into our computers, such as serial numbers or owner-applied numbers,” said Butterworth. “This helps locate the rightful owners of recovered property.”

Also participating in the event will be officers from the Huntsville Police Department’s Community Police Program to provide safety tips for those living in or visiting the Huntsville community.

The Walker County Sheriff’s Office will bring the Ballistic Armored Tactical Transport vehicle, and the Huntsville Fire Department will bring a fire truck and will be available to talk about the importance of fire safety in residences.

Other participants include the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, who will have a DWI simulator to view, and the SHSU ROTC, with their mobile tactical operations center.

Additional organizations that are either participating or supporting Bearkats Fight the Night include: SHSU Dining/Aramark; SHSU Student Activities; H-E-B; SHSU Counseling Center; SHSU Criminal Justice Center/CJ student organizations; SHSU Residence Life; the Huntsville/Walker County SAAFE House; and several Huntsville-area apartment complexes.

For more information, “like” the SHSU University Police Department’s Facebook page, visit shsu.edu/police, or contact Butterworth at butters_upd@shsu.edu.

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