<p>Has anyone heard any more about the recent robberies on campus and near campus? There was a strong armed robbery on campus a couple of weeks ago committed by two males and there were two different robberies this past Saturday during the day on Franklin Street (one in the alley, the other at a ATM) both committed by same person they believe. The robber in the two cases on Saturday had a sawed off shot gun. Another robbery was commited early Sunday morning in front of the Franklin Hotel by two males with a knife. The robbery on Sunday sounds very similar to the robbery on campus. The two robbers in both cases befriended the victim and then robbed him. Is this normal or not? I believe it is unusual for Chapel Hill, but my daughter has only been going there a year. This is kind of scary, because you do not hear a lot of talk about it. It is like they don't want people to be scared, but I believe people need to hear this - so they can be aware of their surroundings. Please comment with any thoughts you have on this.</p>
<p>You might want to ask your D if the UNC campus police send out alerts to students when there are incidents off campus like the ones on Franklin Street. If not, you might want to contact the university and request that they do so as students frequent areas off campus like Franklin Street.</p>
<p>Students tend to be targets as they carry high price items like MP3 players, cell phones, laptops and almost all use debit cards. UNC-Chapel Hill has been perceived as one of the safer campuses in the area, but criminals might have figured out it's just as lucrative as the other areas they have been targeting.</p>
<p>You should also ask the university if they are stepping up patrols on campus in response to the on campus robbery and what plans they have to prevent further incidents on campus.</p>
<p>I got an email alert about that robbery; the university sends them out to all the students. I don't think incidents like this are very common, though...</p>
<p>my friend, who lives on campus, had his laptop stolen not that long ago.
This calls for drastic measures.</p>
<p>My daughter did get an email about the one robbery on campus, but she did not get an email on the Franklin Street robberies - which I think they should. The Franklin Street robberies were armed robberies and I believe the students should get an email, so they can be prepared. </p>
<p>eadad - Has your son seen these robberies in the past? I just wonder what he thinks about these robberies.</p>
<p>Apparently they caught the guy already, heard it on the radio.</p>
<p>Until the Eve Carson situation, UNC and Chapel Hill were probably far more idyllic and problem free than most college towns. With the other exception being a Chapel Hill Fall Festival that had been an annual event but was canceled several years ago due to problems again created by "thugs" coming over from Durham. </p>
<p>You had your occasional situation where someone was someplace they shouldn't have been alone at 3AM and was held up but these were all really the exception rather than the norm.</p>
<p>I know that he and his house mates never locked their door during the day when they were at home and until Eve probably never gave a second thought to being anywhere at any time.</p>
<p>I still think that UNC and Chapel Hill are still probably among the safest places for any college student to be; it really just requires that anyone maintain a normal level of diligence and awareness of their surroundings.</p>
<p>The one good thing about UNC and Chapel Hill is that it is VERY easy to tell when someone DOESN'T belong somewhere which makes avoidance of a situation far easier than in many other places.</p>
<p>Just for the record, despite the fact that he graduated in May, he is still in Chapel Hill (as are most of his close friends) and is actually scheduled to head home this weekend since Medical School starts mid August. They are all having great pangs of remorse about leaving the place they have called home these last four years and have all come to dearly love. I know that EaMom and I are going to "find" reasons to visit Chapel Hill in the future because we are going to really miss it as well.</p>
<p>Yea what he said. For the most part just be smart. Especially freshman year a lot of people are not too defensive savvy in the things they do. Leaving rooms unlocked and stuff unattended. </p>
<p>And if you're stumbling back to your dorm drunk at 4am by yourself, you can't honestly think you're not making yourself an easy target.</p>
<p>I hope that Chapel Hill PD gets their act together. I was very displeased when I heard the captain I believe or another official at a press conference on national t.v. say they were NOT increasing patrols after a body was found (Eve later identified). He said: "business as usual." Newsflash: There is no more business as usual....increase patrols bike, foot and otherwise.</p>
<p>Please do not degrade the Chapel Hill PD. It is a relatively small police force for a relatively small town. There are always a couple murders every year. I know of two in 2008 besides Eve Carson's. Yes Eve's was tragic and more "random" than the other two. But it is business as usual. There is a police presence both on campus and surrounding campus. There has been since I have been there. Do not make the mistake of thinking they do not do their job.</p>
<p>I do agree with you, sd1001, but Atlmom has a point: Chapel Hill PD may have to increase their patrol men because UNC and Franklin Street is a LOT to cover. Not long ago did we have 2 robberies.
I guess, in my opinion, that not only the people of Chapel Hill, but the Chapel Hill PD should be more "alert," and to try to consider other options. Face it, Chapel Hill is now the new "hotspot" for quick robberies.</p>