In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Texas Tech Police Department is giving a timely warning notice about a series of an on-campus arsons.
On May 3, 2016 at approximately 11:50 PM a Texas Tech Police Officer was dispatched to Weymouth Hall to investigate damaged property.
A Community Advisor reported an unknown person had burned a decoration affixed to a dorm room door on the 5th floor. The door sustained minor surface damage. The damage reportedly occurred sometime between 2:30 PM – 10:30 PM.
A second Community Advisor reported an unknown person had burned a poster affixed to a wall in the hallway of the 4th floor. The poster was partially destroyed and the wall sustained minor damage consisting of blistered paint and discoloration. The time of occurrence is unknown.
On May 4, 2016 personnel from the Texas Tech University Fire Marshal’s Office conducted a floor-by-floor inspection at Weymouth Hall. They discovered two additional dorm rooms on the 3rd floor had sustained minor damage due to an unknown person burning paper door decorations. Texas Tech Police were notified and interviewed the occupants of each room. It is believed that damage to one of the doors occurred approximately one week ago, and the damage to the second room occurred sometime between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM on May 3, 2016.
The Texas Tech University Fire Marshal has classified each of the listed incidents as arson.
No injuries occurred and the total value of property damage was estimated at $25 – $50 for each occurrence.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Combustible materials have been removed from all dorm room doors and from interior hallways at Weymouth Hall. University Student Housing and officers of the Texas Tech Police Department have increased patrols of the area.
Law Enforcement continues to investigate the offenses.
Persons who may have witnessed activity related to the arsons or who have knowledge of responsible parties are encouraged to contact the Texas Tech Police Department at 806-743-2000, or Crime Line at 806-741-1000.
The Texas Tech Police Department would like to remind students living on campus and persons visiting dormitories that the act of intentionally setting fire to property inside a campus building or habitation with intent to destroy or cause damage to the property, regardless of whether the fire continues after ignition, is a second degree felony punishable by imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for any term of not more than 20 years or less than 2 years, and a fine not to exceed $10,000. Additionally the act of arson is a violation of the TTU Code of Student Conduct and may lead to sanctions up to and including disciplinary expulsion.
The safety of students, employees, and visitors to our campus is of paramount importance to everyone working and learning at Texas Tech. The Texas Tech Fire Marshal’s Office works in conjunction with the Office of Emergency Management to provide fire safety training to students, faculty and staff. Fire Marshals also work closely with the Texas Tech Police Department to investigate acts of arson and to report applicable statistics required under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.
For more information about the most recently published Fire Safety Report and TTU Life Safety Program, please visit:
(News release from the Texas Tech)
