Current Events
News
SOURCE: News & Observer
11.09.07
Under the Dome
By: Jane Stancill, Staff Writer
Attorney General Roy Cooper went to Chapel Hill on Thursday to endorse the work of the UNC system's safety task force and to argue for new safety measures in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy. Parents expect their children to be safe at a state university campus, Cooper told the UNC Board of Governors. Campuses have to prepare for the worst possible catastrophic events.
"You never know when someone will come on one of our campuses and start shooting," he said."You'll never know when someone comes with a bomb. You'll never know if someone drives a vehicle on a campus and starts to try to run over people. You just never know, and we have to be ready."
The UNC board is reviewing an extensive set of recommendations by a task force that has worked for six months.
In January, another statewide panel appointed by Cooper will issue a report that takes a broad view of campus safety across public universities, community colleges and private colleges. That panel is likely to recommend changes in mental health treatment and rules around gun permits, Cooper said.
"We want to do things that are reasonable," Cooper said. "We don't want to overreact, but at the same time, we need to make certain that we're prepared."
