TO THE EDITOR:
In light of the University’s failure to notify students of the possible threat Monday, I flash back to my freshman year, when most students were notified by Daily Tar Heel journalists or local news stations about a possible bomb threat. The University was silent until hours after the incident. Officers with shotguns prevented anyone from approaching the Pit for reasons they would not disclose.
Two years later, we’ve taken steps in the wrong direction. No alerts were sent out, so students walked around freely. A coworker and I unknowingly passed by Morrison minutes before the men entered the building. I’m sure countless others passed by during and immediately after the robbery. Instead of being safely inside a building with locked doors, students were left out to dry.
Had the fleeing man seen SafeWalkers wearing their vests, he could have mistaken them for some kind of security detail and a deadly altercation could have occurred. Any passerby could have become the next Eve Carson, carjacked and murdered. The Department of Public Safety urges students to call 911 immediately if they see anything out of the ordinary, alert others, and remove themselves from the situation. Where is the mutual responsibility on their part?
Chase Miller
Junior
History and English
