Candidates plan for safety

Since former Student Body President Eve Carson was kidnapped and killed by strangers in March 2008, safety has been an even more pressing issue for the town of Chapel Hill.

And as elections draw near, the eight candidates for four seats on the Chapel Hill Town Council will have to address resident concerns.

After Carson’s death, Chapel Hill officials increased security measures, and students and residents asked the council to install emergency blue lights at several off-campus locations.

An agreement this summer gave UNC’s Department of Public Safety and Chapel Hill Police joint jurisdiction of the downtown area.

Compared to other towns in the area, Chapel Hill is safe, said Chapel Hill police Capt. Jeff Clark.

But at night, when the lights fade and more and more students go out after dark, crimes are more likely to occur, Clark said.

“Complaints haven’t increased, but the call volume at night has increased,” he said.

To reduce the crime rates, some suggestions have included improved downtown lighting, access to call boxes, police presence and pedestrian safety.

Clark said the best way to prevent incidents was to educate residents about safety. Many Town Council candidates had more extensive plans.

Jon DeHart

Candidate Jon DeHart is a banker. He said he feels Chapel Hill is very safe and that most incidents on a day-to-day basis are minor. If elected, he said he plans to:

Make sure citizens are educated about pedestrian safety and traffic laws.

Keep police officers on the street on a day-to-day basis.

“I think our police department does a great job,” DeHart said.

Laurin Easthom

Laurin Easthom has been on the Chapel Hill Town Council since 2005. She said that while she sees Chapel Hill as safe, she has worked to make it safer by supporting an increase in the downtown police presence during her time on the council. If reelected, she said she plans to:

Add more call boxes and blue lights on campus and downtown.

Work to increase light output on Franklin Street.

“The town cannot predict when a criminal will decide to do something, but we’re doing our best to prevent those things,” Easthom said.

Ed Harrison

Ed Harrison has been on the Chapel Hill Town Council since 2001. He said his primary focus during his time on the council has been pedestrian safety. He said if reelected, he plans to:

Continue to represent the town in working with Chapel Hill police and regional committees to increase pedestrian and bike safety and support a replacement of the town’s traffic signal system.

Further increase the presence of police and UNC public safety officers both downtown and in the rest of Chapel Hill, especially late at night and at special events like the town’s Halloween celebration.

“You have to make it appear that you’re everywhere at all times,” Harrison said.

Jim Merritt

Jim Merritt was appointed to the Chapel Hill Town Council in 2008 following the death of council member Bill Thorpe. He said in a Sept. 28 interview that he’s glad there is a police patrol unit downtown but that he had not really thought through safety matters. Follow-up calls to Merritt were not returned.

Gene Pease

Candidate Gene Pease is the CEO of a Durham software and consulting company. He said that in speaking with students and business owners, he found that safety was consistently one of their top concerns. If elected, he said he plans to:

Create more lighting, emergency poles and signs downtown, especially around major streets.

Improve pedestrian safety by creating more crosswalks downtown, particularly on West Franklin Street.

“Depending on the time of evening, you’ve got to scoot across traffic, and it’s not terribly safe,” Pease said.

Matt Pohlman

Candidate Matt Pohlman is a 1996 UNC graduate and an accountant. He said that Chapel Hill is fairly safe and that simple fixes, such as improving lighting and police patrolling, would be best for the town. If elected, he said he plans to:

Add more police officers who patrol the length of Franklin Street to deter crime.

Provide lighting for unlit corridors downtown.

“Even if the statistics show that we’re a pretty safe town, perception is important,” Pohlman said.

Will Raymond

Candidate Will Raymond is a software developer and entrepreneur. He said that the key to safety downtown is police presence, which he said used to be more visible. If elected, he said he plans to:

Continue to encourage Chapel Hill to recognize and curb gang activity and coordinate with Durham.

Increase the downtown police presence, both from campus and Chapel Hill police, and encourage officers to better know business owners and their activities.

“(Police) used to know the pulse of downtown, and I think we’ve lost that a little bit,” Raymond said.

Penny Rich

Candidate Penny Rich is a small business owner. She said that while she never feels unsafe downtown, she understands residents’ concerns. If elected, she said she plans to:

Support efforts to improve lighting and provide more police call boxes on Franklin Street.

Work to ensure students and residents are educated about safety.

“Safety is also something that we have to bring upon ourselves,” Rich said.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.