UMPD Officers Make Quick Arrest for Two Motor Scooter Thefts
At around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 22nd, a UMPD officer observed three males operating three motor scooters on Route 1 without proper safety equipment. The males noticed the officer and fled south on Route 1. Officers pursued the subjects to East-West Highway where one subject dismounted and fled on foot. The second subject crashed the scooter and was taken into custody. The first subject was soon located at the College Park Metro Station by an off-duty US Secret Service police officer and was apprehended. The third subject was not located. William Thomas Cato, 18, of SE, DC was arrested and charged with motor vehicle theft and violations of the traffic law. Julian Emmanuell Ruffin, 22, of Glenarden, MD was arrested and charged with motor vehicle theft and violations of the traffic law. He was also served with an open warrant for assault. Both motor scooters were stolen from the rear of the Varsity apartment complex at 8150 Baltimore Avenue. They were returned to their owners. Cato and Ruffin are not affiliated with UMD.
Welcome to UMPD News
The UMPD News site has been created to provide you with timely information about incidents and events on the UMD campus, and also contains information about UMPD's community policing and crime prevention efforts. In the event of a serious situation on campus requiring the issuance of a UMD Emergency Alert (what's this?), a UMPD Media Relations officer will post a description of what is happening and provide regular updates as the situation unfolds. You are invited to subscribe to receive email notifications when this site is updated by using the "subscribe" dialog box in the right side-bar on this page. If you prefer, you may opt to add our RSS feed to a reader of your choice. You may unsubscribe at any time. If you have questions, please contact our Media Relations Office at 301-405-9960 and we will be happy to assist you.
National Night Out
Community Members: Please join us in celebrating our “Annual National Night Out” Reminder we will join forces with the “Lakeland Community” this year along with several local agencies PGPD, M-NCPPC, Metro Transit, and many more. Please come out to help celebrate making our communities safer!
Cinema Under the Stars: 42
Watch 42, the Jackie Robinson Story, under the stars this Saturday, July 27, 2013 on Chapel Field, starting at sundown, approximately 8:30pm. Prior to the movie, the City of College Park will host their last summer concert in South Gate Park (between Potbelly’s and Chapel Field), starting at 6:30pm. For more info, visit http://shopcollegepark.org/events/outdoor-movie-at-chapel-field/. https://www.facebook.com/events/195792537247167/ Please feel free to share this with others you think might be interested!
Are You an Aggressive Driver?
Aggressive driving has become a serious problem on our roadways, but what exactly is aggressive driving? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), after consulting with law enforcement and the judiciary, defines aggressive driving as "an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property." NHTSA has released the following information on aggressive driving and ways to combat it. Please keep this information in mind as you travel and stay safe. Are You an Aggressive Driver? Do You:
UMPD Wins the Law Enforcement Challenge
For the third year in a row, the University of Maryland police department won the Maryland Law Enforcement Challenge (LEC) in the University Law Enforcement division. This award is given to departments across the nation for their dedication towards increasing safety through traffic enforcement. The LEC program is evaluated through traffic enforcement programs such as Click It or Ticket, Smooth Operator, and Checkpoint Strikeforce. The purposes of these initiatives are to increase traffic safety through educational and enforcement means and to deter negligent or aggressive behavior that could lead to a potentially dangerous traffic accident. Although UMPD participates fully in these initiatives, we strive for exemplary traffic enforcement day to day and make traffic safety a daily priority.
UMPD Receives Outstanding Unit Award from the President's Commission on Ethnic Minority Issues
On May 16th, the University of Maryland Police Department was awarded the Outstanding Non-Instructional Unit Award from the President's Commission on Ethnic Minority Issues. This award is issued to a unit that makes outstanding contributions the the University's equity efforts. UMPD has always been dedicated to the recruitment and promotion of its quality minority employees. Additionally, the department makes it a top priority to address diversity issues with all officers in the academy and with continued training throughout their career. UMPD regards diversity as a critical issue and will continue to address it with the same fervor for many years to come.
UMPD Honor Guard at Slain MIT Officers Memorial Service
On 04/24/2013, the University of Maryland Honor Guard joined other departments in Boston, MA for a memorial service held in honor of Officer Sean Collier. Officer Collier, an officer with the MIT campus, was slain during the manhunt for the Boston Marathon Bombers. At the time of his death, Officer Collier was 27 years old and had worked for the department for 15 months. UMPD sends it's condolences and prayers to the family and friends of Officer Collier and his department.
4 University of Maryland Employees Honored by Law Enforcement Partners
University of Maryland Police Detective MPO Chris Iversen was recognized as investigator of the year at today's Police Chief's of Prince George's county award ceremony in Glenarden. Detective Iversen is a 4 year veteran of this University and a graduate of this University. Detective Iversen has been involved in a large amount of high profile cases, including spearheading the Alexander Song case in which Song threatened widespread violence on the campus. Also honored today was Howard "Spud" Blake, UMPD's chief of staff. He was given the Hall of Fame award due to his many years of dedication to law enforcement. He was appointed as UMPD's chief of staff in 2010 and prior to that he attained the rank of Deputy Chief with the Prince George's County Police Department. Among his many accomplishments, he led the PGPD narcotics unit where they shut down 21 PCP labs.