No curfew on safety: Violence a bigger concern than turnout on Halloween

The town’s efforts to limit the size of the Halloween celebration on Franklin Street, known as “Homegrown Halloween,” have had mixed effects.

The police plan this year on clearing people off Franklin Street at 11:30 p.m. — 30 minutes earlier than last year.

But will forcing people off the streets earlier really change the chances of any illegal and violent activity?

In 2008, there was only a reported 35,000 people on Franklin Street. However, it was estimated that nearly 50,000 people celebrated downtown.

Last year, after the police cleared Franklin Street, a man stabbed a student outside of a fraternity house.
By forcing people to vacate the open street, police may be putting people in less public, more violence-prone situations.

With Halloween falling on a Sunday this year, officers hope people will go home earlier due to classes and work.

Hopefully this is true, as a safer and more “homegrown” Chapel Hill party is always better than violence and chaos.

Police spokesman Lt. Kevin Gunter said the department will again have extra officers on hand around the downtown area. Assisted by UNC public safety officers and officers from other parts of the state, the police will manage any suspicious and violent activity.

This is promising news, but it would seem easier to manage 35,000 people if you have them in a controlled space as opposed to wandering intoxicated through a town of about 20 square miles.

If town officials anticipate a smaller crowd this year, they should consider the possibility of keeping Franklin Street open. Given last year’s violence after the street was cleared, it seems safer to keep everyone in one place.

But assuming that they are set in their decision, we hope that they continue to improve efforts to keep the town safe after Franklin Street is cleared.

Simply closing the street at an appointed time does not necessarily mean that the crowd is under control and students remain safe.