Young Participates in Lighting Tour

Young accompanied safety officials Tuesday evening on a walk through the UNC campus for their semiannual lighting tour, during which they assess campus safety at night.

On the tour, the group looks for nonfunctioning lights, overgrown foliage and dark areas that might need lighting, said Lt. Angela Carmon, the crime prevention officer for the Department of Public Safety.

"It's not just a lighting tour," said construction and renovation technician Phil Mazarick. "We try to look at all things as they relate to safety, as they relate to people feeling comfortable about the campus."

Mazarick said campus foliage growth requires that officials tour the campus in both the fall and spring.

"There's a big difference in lighting patterns between the spring when the leaves are coming on and when most of the leaves have fallen."

Although the group found several lights that were out on North Campus, the majority were functioning normally, and none of the areas on the tour were completely unlit.

"When I started doing this (24 years ago), every time I would place six to 10 lights," Mazarick said. "In the past few years it's been pretty unlit."

Because no sections of campus were completely unlit, the group did not single out any location on the tour as a problem area in significant need of more lighting.

The group also noted that there are no specific lighting problems on Stadium Drive, where a female student was mugged Oct. 5. Mazarick noted that the amount of lighting there far exceeds regulations.

Carmon suggested other ways students can increase their safety if lighting alone is not enough.

"The number one thing that students can do in order to protect themselves when they are out and about is to pay attention to what is going on," Carmon said.

She also suggested students stay in groups when walking at night and report any suspicious activity to police.

Students also can make suggestions to improve campus lighting and safety. "If you see something that's needed (for safety around the residence halls), bring it up to your area director," said Bob Humphreys, the housing support superintendent.

While the goal of these tours is to make sure the campus is well lit at night, lighting alone cannot prevent crime, Mazarick said.

"It would be impossible to light behind every shaded bush and everywhere a boogeyman could hide," he said.

"Ultimately people have got to use their own judgment and good sense to protect themselves."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.