University of Houston
Division of Administration and Finance
Department of Public Safety Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Department of Public Safety
Contact Person: Lt. Bret Collier
713-743-6031
UHDPS gets social with Twitter
The University of Houston is a community that thrives on technology and information, and the University
of Houston Department of Public Safety wants to make use of both in a new effort to bolster the public’s
awareness of public safety issues.
Using the social networking site Twitter, UHDPS will broadcast events and information of interest to the
UH community who sign up to receive the messages. After signing up for a free Twitter account at
http://www.twitter.com, users can follow UHDPS and receive updates on their cellular phone via SMS,
email or through one of several Twitter applications for various mobile phone operating systems,
including Windows Mobile, Android and the iPhone.
One of the lessons learned from Hurricane Ike is that SMS texting is a fast and efficient way of getting
out important information, and sometimes, it’s the only way. UHDPS will not rely on Twitter for its
emergency communications; the innovative PIER system that is currently used will continue to fill that
duty. Chief Malcolm Davis hopes that the UH community will see UHDPS’ use of Twitter as a way of
staying informed about the types of incidents that occur around campus, and the programs that may help
them to stay safe. “Community awareness and participation are essential to a successful crime prevention
model” says Chief Davis. “We want to make sure that our students know what is going on around them,
and what they can do to take ownership of their safety.”
UHDPS has been testing the concept since late last year, and it is now live at http://twitter.com/uhdps.
Those to choose to participate should remember that if they elect to receive SMS messages on their
cellular telephones regular text messaging usage guidelines with their cellular carrier will apply. Recent
updates can also be seen on the UHDPS website in the “UHDPS Latest News” section at
www.uh.edu/police.