Assault Increases Student Concerns About Night Parking

University Police Chief Derek Poarch said Wednesday's assault involved a man who approached a 21-year-old female student in a University parking lot, where she was monitoring access for a special event.

The two spoke briefly in Spanish, and the man then touched the student's chest and pelvic area, reports state.

University police Lt. Archie Daniel said Thursday that police have received several Crime Stoppers calls about the suspect, who is described as a Hispanic man, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, about 30 years old and of medium build, with a slight mustache and poor teeth.

"We know a lot more than we did (Wednesday night)," Daniel said. "We hope to make an arrest."

But Student Body President-elect Jen Daum said she worries that assaults like Wednesday's could happen more frequently if the proposed parking plan is implemented.

"My real concern is that this (assault) is just the beginning of what will happen if the current night parking proposal is accepted," she said.

The proposal, which was approved Tuesday by the chancellor and vice chancellors, would charge students $122 for a permit and limit students without a permit to two specific lots. The UNC Board of Trustees will vote March 28 on the plan.

Students who do not purchase a permit would have the option to park for free at the Bowles Drive Parking Lot on South Campus and the Bell Tower Parking Lot. Officials will increase bus service to transport students from the lots to main campus, but the busing would end at midnight -- a fact that worries some students.

Kindl Shinn, co-chairwoman of Advocates for Sexual Assault Prevention, also said she thinks the safety of students walking on campus or standing in campus parking lots is a main concern.

"When we're going to force people to walk across the campus at night, we're not creating a safe environment," she said.

Shinn was an organizer of Wednesday's Take Back the Night march, which was designed to draw attention to the issue of sexual assault. Participants marched past police investigating the assault just minutes after it occurred, which she said was evidence of the need to address nighttime security.

"It reaffirms that there is a need to (bring attention to the issue)," Shinn said.

But Nancy Suttenfield, vice chancellor for finance and administration, said the proposed parking plan effectively addresses security concerns.

She said the decision to keep two lots free was meant to accommodate students who have expressed concern about walking to and from town bus stops at night. "We felt it was better to allow people to drive to campus and leave from a parking lot where there is security attention."

Poarch also said the assault was an isolated incident and that he thinks night parking will be safe. "I don't think last night's incident brings any more bearing on night parking than not having last night's incident."

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