TECHNICIAN
wednesday february
17 2010
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
SECU bank robbed Tuesday, suspect flees BURGLARY CLAIMED TO BE RANDOM, ONE MAIN SUSPECT INVOLVED, STUDENTS STILL FEEL SAFE ON CAMPUS Allen Drive, possibly headed towards campus.” Based on these initial reports, camA lone gunman entered and burglar- pus police decided to utilize the Wolf ized the State Employees Credit Union Alert text message and e-mail systems on Hillsborough Street Tuesday morn- to warn students of a possible risk. “Since he was armed with a handing before fleeing, according to police. “I don’t have much on it at this point. gun and could have been isolated to an We’re still working on a report,” Jim area near campus, we utilized our text Sughrue, public information officer system as well as crime alert e-mail,” for the Raleigh Police Department, Barnwell said. “ Even though it ocsaid. “That the robbery occurred just curred off campus, it was a potential threat on the border before 11:30 a.m. at of campus so we the SECU on Hillwanted to make stusborough St reet, dents aware so they a nd preli m i na r y could avoid danger.” information is that Accordi ng to one suspect was inBarnwell, later footvolved, thought to be age examined from a black male armed the bank cameras with a handgun.” showed that the susAccordi ng to pect had actually fled Sughrue, the susnorth on Brooks Ave. pect, who is still at away from campus, large, was relatively so the alert was then tall at about six feet removed from the with a stocky build Web site. “We just and possibly weardidn’t want to take ing a black hooded any chances,” he sweatshirt. He fled Captain Jon Barnwell, NCSU said. the scene on foot. Campus Police Even though it was The N.C. State eventually realized Police Department sent out Wolf Alert messages and e- the robber actually posed little risk to mails after receiving the report from students, Barnwell said it’s still good to play it safe. It also provided good Raleigh PD. “The Raleigh police department practice for the future. “Bank robberies around campus made us aware of a bank robbery that occurred at 11:30,” Jon Barnwell of have happened before, and typically NC State PD said. “Initial reports said they flee away from campus as he the suspect fled the credit union on did today,” he said. “With the initial foot and was last seen at the intersec- reports showing the suspect fleeing tion of Hillsborough Street and Dan towards campus, it provided a good
John Cline Staff Writer
“Bank robberies around campus have happened before, and typically they flee away from campus as he did today.”
DAVID MABE/TECHNICIAN
Police patrol Hillsborough Street after the robbery Tuesday. Suspect fled to campus and has not been apprehended.
test of the Wolf Alert system, which was successful.” Employees of the SECU, which closed its doors for the remainder of the day to deal with the matter, were unavailable for comment. Students around campus quickly heard about the commotion, but many said it didn’t affect them. “I was in class when it happened, and by the time I got out it was over,” Charles Dalton Haynes, a sophomore
in accounting, said. “It really didn’t affect me because by the time I heard about it I was pretty far from where it happened and I felt no immediate threat to my safety.” Tyler Tingle, a senior in polymercolor chemistry, agreed he felt little threat, but expressed other worries. “As an individual with money in the State Employees Credit Union, I was more concerned that my money was going to be okay than with my
Red Terror system operating same route for Wake Forest despite previous problems Despite problems following the UNC-Chapel Hill game, Red Terror will continue to operate on its current route
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Bowles announces retirement, tuition increase Alanna Howard News Editor
Alanna Howard
At the Board of Governors meeting Friday the Board unanimously approved a tuition increase plan that will average out to a 5.2 percent tuition increase across the system, on the assurance that the money will benefit the campuses. The Board’s tuition plan was created to replace the plan drafted by the North Carolina General Assembly to raise tuition by $200 or 8 percent, whichever is lower. The General Assembly’s plan would keep the money in the state’s general fund. The plan, which was approved Friday, heads to the legislature to be debated in May. The make-up of the Board’s plan includes financial aid receiving 50 percent of the revenue, 25 percent to
News Editor
As the men’s basketball team nears the end of its season, Red Terror will continue its current route to avoid future problems. Phillip Christofferson, the campus safety commission chairman for Student Government, said the route will not change for the Wake Forest game. “We will continue to operate on the schedule that we’ve ran for the other two games, with service beginning 90 minutes before the game and continuing for 90 minutes after the game,” Christofferson said. The buses will wait until all students have exited the RBC Center, he said. The route for the UNC-Chapel Hill game did not receive positive feedback due to an attempt at a new route. Between buses some students had to wait up to an hour, a wait time that was not part of the plan, according to Christofferson. “As some students may know, there was an attempt at a new route for the UNC game which was not successful. This caused many students to have to wait an hour on campus for the next round of buses,” he said. The error with the route is associated with First Transit, the national transit service provider company hired by the University to run the Wolf line service. First Transit recommended the new route, according to Christofferson, and worked with the RBC Center staff to arrange the particulars. “First Transit claimed that the RBC Center staff was to blame for them not being able to run the route that they designed,” according to Christoffer-
personal safety,” Tingle said. “I really didn’t feel threatened at all and it doesn’t change how safe I do or don’t feel around that area.” Lauren Warwick, a senior in psychology, was closer to the scene when it all went down. “I was standing on the street corner [of Brooks and Hillsborough] with my roommate, and by the time I reached
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MICHELE CHANDLER/TECHNICIAN FILE PHOTO
William “Randy” Woodson and Erskine Bowles, President of the UNC Board of Governors, speak at the press conference following the UNC Board of Governors meeting on Jan. 8. Woodson will be the 14th chancellor at N.C. State.
son. Robert Bell, a freshman in elementary education, said he missed the first bus and was told to wait for the next one. “My friends and I were in line to get on the bus, and just as we were about to get on, the bus driver refused to let anyone on the bus and said it would be 15-20 minutes before the next bus came,” he said. Red Terror planned to begin service to the game two hours prior to tipoff for the UNC-Chapel Hill game, according to Christofferson, based on an agreement between Student
Government and the Department of Transportation. Bell said he thought the bus would be arriving shortly, but it did not come when expected. “The bus took almost an hour to come back and pick us up. We made it back to Talley around midnight,” he said. “It was a little frustrating.” The Wake Forest game will be the last game that Red Terror will operate and Student Government will continue to work with the Department of Transportation to ensure next year’s service will run smoothly. Christofferson said he would like
to thank the Dept. of Transportation for their assistance with Red Terror. “I’d like to thank University Transportation for their continued support and help that they have provided us with Red Terror this year and also thank the students who have used Red Terror and provided feedback on how to improve the service,” Christofferson said. To allow students to continue
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