Blue Lights Shine On
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Serving UNC students and the University community since 1893 Volume 119, Issue 97 dailytarheel.com Tuesday, October 25, 2011 About 100 campus crimes occurred within 200 feet of a blue light in 2010, yet the blue lights are only used 12 times per year. The Daily Tar Heel investigates the As the Nov. 28 trial approaches for a man charged in former SBP Eve Carson’s killing, student safety remains a pressing issue. Though rarely used, Alert BLUE LIGHTS SHINE ON Carolina By Jeanna Smialek ON-CAMPUS CRIME* decision City Editor (Incidents reported Eve Carson made safety at in 2010 within 200 feet of a call box) UNC a priority — and after she 0 - 2 was found shot to death near disputed campus in March 2008, the 3 - 7 topic faced even more scrutiny. As Laurence Alvin Lovette 8 - 12 A recent alleged rape on Jr. approaches a Nov. 28 trial on charges of Carson’s murder, 13 - 17 South Campus was not reported one of the former student body to the campus community. president’s major initiatives *Includes larceny, burglary — the expansion of blue light car theft, assault, and rape. call boxes off campus — has By Becky Bush been realized, and a Daily Tar Staff Writer Heel survey found the condi- A recent arrest for an alleged on-cam- tion of on-campus lights has pus rape has highlighted difficulties the improved. University faces when deciding whether it A 2008 survey of 71 should notify students of a crime. on-campus call boxes com- A man was arrested Oct. 14 on six charges, pleted about three weeks after including second-degree rape — but the inci- Carson’s shooting found only dent was not emailed to the UNC community 49 had blue lights, while 22 through Alert Carolina. had yellowed with age. No alert was sent because it would have Three years later, of 73 on- impeded the investigation, it was not deemed campus boxes surveyed in a an immediate danger and local media was follow-up audit, 62 appeared covering the incident fully functional. extensively, Department of Officials said increased Public Safety spokesman cellphone use has limited the Randy Young said. call boxes’ usefulness — UNC “I can’t get into the Department of Public Safety specifics of how this would receives about 12 emergency impede the investigation,” calls a year from the boxes — he said. “It falls to the but they will be retained as a department’s discretion.” crime deterrent. Jade Rofot was “If we’re trying to restrict information from the pub- The state of blue lights arrested Oct. 14 on six charges, includ- lic, we’re trying to restrict ing second-degree information from a suspect.” As student body presi- The suspect, Jade Rofot, dent, Carson asked the Town rape, sexual offense 29, was charged with two Council to approve three off- and sexual battery. counts of second-degree campus boxes — which they rape, two counts of sec- did. The Town Council took ond-degree sexual offense and two counts of final steps to place the boxes sexual battery, Young said. just months after she died, and Police said the crime occurred in the early they stand operational today. 0 FEET 1,000 morning of Oct. 13 on Manning Drive. “The majority of attention DPS sent warrants out soon after, and in the wake of the Eve Carson Rofot was arrested on the evening of Oct. 14 tragedy was … where there was by Durham police at his place of employment a high population of students Blue light visibility in Durham. He is now being held at Orange in the area surrounding cam- About 100 campus crimes occurred within 200 feet of a blue light in Call boxes with blue lights County Jail on a $2.5 million bond, Young said. pus,” DPS spokesman Randy In September, the University revised Young said. 2010, yet the blue lights are only used an average of 12 times per Call boxes with yellow or yellowing lights its Alert Carolina notification structure to Blue lights are 9-foot-tall year. Of the 73 emergency call boxes on main campus, only 62 are expand to three categories of warning — black cylinders topped by a blue, nine are yellow or yellowing and two are out of commision. Call boxes that are out of commission emergency warning, timely warning and informational message. SEE BLUE LIGHts, PAGE 6 SOURCE: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND DTH STAFF REPORTS DTH/MEG WRATHER SEE alERT caROLINA, PAGE 6 Senior safety Matt Merletti out for the season the defense appeared especially Matt Merletti, “It’s a really, really hard blow for me personally, Junior safety Gene Robinson The defensive back will weak against Tiger quarterback who is tied for said Merletti and senior safety sit out after spraining Tajh Boyd and his 367 passing third on the team having coached him.” Jonathan Smith have been the yards. with 36 tackles, is leaders for the secondary all sea- his MCL and ACL. And for the rest of the season, out for the rest of Everett Withers, UNC interim head football coach son long. defending the pass may be even the season with a Moving forward, Robinson By Kelly Parsons tougher for the Tar Heels. knee injury. Merletti received a medical press conference Monday. said, the unit will have to adjust Sports Editor University officials announced redshirt in 2009 after tearing his “But it’s really, really a hard in order to succeed without Monday that senior safety Matt ACL in preseason practice. blow for me personally, having Merletti. In North Carolina’s loss to Merletti will be out for the season on the team with 36 tackles this “We’re going to try to do coached him … We’ll try to keep “It’s tough because he does Clemson on Saturday, the Tar after spraining his MCL and ACL season, left Saturday’s game in everything we can to help Matt Matt around, so he can help everything right, as far as you Heels gave up 59 points, the most in his left knee. the first half and didn’t return for through all of this,” interim head coach some of the rest of our allowed by UNC since 2005, and Merletti, who is tied for third the rest of the game. coach Everett Withers said at a guys.” SEE MERLEttI, PAGE 6 Student drops out of race UNC Health Care growth criticized Critics believe the state John William Pope Center for Chapel Hill and has gradually A grad student was Brian Bower Bedford said she appreciated Higher Education Policy — said evolved into a region-wide net- withdrew from the Bower’s withdrawal. invests too much the state should not be giving work of hospitals and clinics, running for school board school board race “It was considerate, once the hospitals any money at all. known as UNC Health Care. after qualifying for there was that confusion, for him into the program. Cheston said the state should The system bought Rex to get in-state tuition. in-state tuition, to really clarify that he had no not support the UNC Health Healthcare, based in Raleigh, but his name will intention of serving,” she said. Brendan Cooley Care System because its growth in 2000 and Chatham Hospital By Florence Bryan be on the ballot. Although his first two applica- Staff Writer crowds the health care market in Siler City in 2008. A branch Assistant City Editor tions for in-state tuition were and harms private competitors. campus for UNC Hospitals in denied, Bower resubmitted this The UNC Health Care System “The UNC Health Care System Hillsborough is expected to be UNC graduate student Brian In an statement Tuesday, semester and was approved. has undergone a rapid expan- acts like a private business, and completed by 2015. Bower officially withdrew from Bower said he withdrew because According to state law, a per- sion during the past decade and I don’t think that’s a legitimate The expansion is necessary to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board the graduate school granted him son must live in North Carolina created a footprint that extends function of the state,” he said. serve an increasingly populated of Education race last week. in-state tuition, and he did not for at least a year while not well beyond Chapel Hill — but Five years ago, UNC Health region, said Jennifer James, Bower, a Ph.D. student origi- want to jeopardize the re-election attending school and present evi- a conservative think tank is now Care’s operating revenues were spokeswoman for UNC Health nally from Ohio, never intended of Jamezetta Bedford, who was dence that he or she is not in the criticizing that expansion. $1.3 billion. That number Care. to serve on the board and was thought to be running unopposed state only to attend college. The N.C. General Assembly increased to $1.9 billion by fiscal “The state of North Carolina, running solely to prove his North until the Orange County Board of Leslie Lerea, the associate appropriated $18 million to year 2010. particularly the Triangle area, Carolina residency to receive Elections realized it had made a UNC Hospitals for this year, but North Carolina Memorial lower in-state tuition. mistake. SEE BOWER, PAGE 6 Duke Cheston — a writer for the Hospital opened in 1952 in SEE HEaltH caRE, PAGE 6 PRINTING BRUSHES WITH LIFE This day in history Today’s weather Inside PROBLEMS An exhibit in the N.C. Neu- OCT. 25, 2002 It’s pretty outside. Student Body President rosciences Hospital’s gallery Senator Paul Wellstone, a H 71, L 46 HANDLING Mary Cooper’s plan to opens tonight.