Victims of crime have options to report. It is up to each individual what is right for them. While reporting can be difficult, it could serve to aid in overall recovery, feelings of personal safety, and a sense of regaining control over life. An advocate can support you as you decide what is right for you.

Here are some reporting options:

Reporting to local law enforcement
Tampa Police Department holds jurisdiction for crimes occurring on-campus and within Tampa city limits and can be contacted at (813) 231-6130. For crimes occurring outside the Tampa city limits, Hillsborough County Sheriff Department can be contacted at (813) 247-8200.

Filing a student conduct report (if the attacker was or is also a student)
See the Information and Resources page (pages 1-6) of the Student Code of Conduct for specific information on how to report certain incidents to Student Conduct. To file a report, contact the Student Conduct Office at (813) 258-7228 or via email at conduct@ut.edu.

Filing a Title IX complaint
All students, faculty, staff, and community members are encouraged to file a complaint of sexual misconduct and relationship violence in any of the following ways:

• By contacting the Title IX coordinator (listed below) or filing a report online through the Title IX website;
• By filing an incident report on the Office of Student Conduct website;
• By reporting to any responsible employee or Campus Safety authority;
• By consenting to a confidential employee to share information with the Title IX coordinator or deputy Title IX coordinator.

Title IX Coordinator
Taylor Parker
Human Resources
Southard Family Building 276
Phone: (813) 257-3947
tsparker@ut.edu

Personal safety is always a priority but is particularly important after being a victim of a crime. The University offers many options for students who have concerns for their safety.

1. A no-contact order between students may be issued by the Office of Student Conduct.
2. On-campus housing assignments may be changed or an individual’s access to certain halls may be restricted.
3. Course sections may be changed.
4. The student escort service, the LASER team, is available for a golf cart escort around campus.
5. A student can complete a safety plan to identify steps to increase safety and help to prepare in the event of future violence.

Students are encouraged to contact the Department of Campus Safety, a resident assistant and/or a campus victim advocate.

It is important to preserve evidence of any offense – it may be necessary proof to obtain a protection order or to prosecute the offender.

1. Sexual Assault
   • Forensic evidence collection is best done within 72 hours of the assault and best collected immediately following an assault. The state of Florida will collect evidence up to 120 hours following an assault; however, it is important to remember that the more time passes between the sexual assault and collecting the evidence, the less likely it will be to collect physical evidence that may be very important to the prosecution of a criminal case.
   • To preserve evidence in the case of sexual assault, it is recommended that you do not shower or bathe, wash your hands, use the toilet, douche, eat, drink, smoke, brush your teeth, change clothing, or wash clothing or bedding before a medical exam. Even if you have already taken any of these actions, evidence may still be collected, and you are encouraged to have prompt medical care.
   • If you wish to make a report to the police, or if you wish to have evidence collected so you can make this decision later, you may seek services by calling the Tampa Police Department (813) 231-6130 or the Department of Campus Safety (813) 257-7777 and requesting transportation to the Crisis Center or contacting the Crisis Center of Hillsborough directly at (813) 234-1234. The Crisis Center facilitates sexual assault forensic examinations for the city of Tampa.
   • It is preferred that a police department facilitates the collection of forensic evidence on site. However, if you are not sure if you would like to report to the police or if it has been longer than 72 hours after the assault, you may wish to gather all clothing and bedding that may be used for evidence and place them into a clean paper bag or clean sheet. Items should be stored at room temperature that will not damage evidence. The Victim Advocate program at UT can provide replacement bedding by calling their hotline at (813) 257-3900.
2. Dating or Domestic Violence
   • In the case of dating violence and domestic violence, the resource you choose to report the crime to (a doctor, the police, an advocate, etc.) may recommend ways to preserve evidence such as logging incidents, photographing injuries, seeking medical care, etc.
3. Stalking
   • Stalking is demonstrated through a pattern of unwanted contact. Find out how to document stalking. In addition to logging unwanted contact, an advocate or police officer may recommend you save and photograph unwanted text messages, emails, letters and gifts, and store them in a secure location.