An armed robbery occurred at approximately 2:15 a.m. on April 8 on the sidewalk adjacent to the Milner patio. At approximately 11:30 a.m. the next morning Dean for Campus Life Aaron Fetrow sent an e-mail to the community alerting them so they can take precautionary measures and look out for the perpetrators.

“It’s a situation in which the student who was robbed did exactly the right thing,” Fetrow said. “He offered to give them everything he had and didn’t talk back or get an attitude. When confronted with a station like that its important for the students to understand that nothing you are holding with you is worth dying for.”

According to the e-mail, “The student robbed and a witness described the alleged perpetrators as two black men, one approximately 5′ 8″ in height and of slight build and the other approximately 5′ 6″ in height of medium build.”

The investigation is currently underway, yet the offenders have not been identified.

The e-mails proceeds to describe the men’s attire then says that “The witness observed the two perpetrators get into a late model (mid to late 1990s), red Monte Carlo driven by a third black male.”

According to Director of Public Safety Ron Stowe, the victim called 911, got transferred to Guilford County Police, whom in turn, notified Public Safety.

“Our primary goal is to look after our community,” Stowe said. “And in such cases we make sure our students get what they need and make sure the proper authorities are called.”

According to Stowe, after the Greensboro police arrived, Public Safety officers proceeded to check the rest of the campus and made sure that the students are in a secure environment.

“Our main concern is for the health and well-being of the students involved,” said Sandy Bowles, director of student judicial affairs. “We check in with them, make sure they are doing okay and that they know where the campus resources are like the counseling center.”

Fetrow said that after being notified of this armed robbery, about 10 students, both traditional and CCE, have called Fetrow asking if they could carry tasers, mace or guns to protect themselves.

“The first thing I said to them was ‘What a terrible idea!'” Fetrow said. “If someone has a shotgun pointed at you, I don’t think (you) should be trying to taser them.

Stowe said that “it is important for the community to know that while this is certainly serious and we are taking it seriously, we don’t see it as a crime wave.”

Fetrow said that things like armed robberies are difficult to eliminate because Guilford is not a gated campus. “In this case, the idea is deterrence,” Fetrow said.

“Certainly being an open campus and an urban environment does create a unique set or problems,” Stowe said. “The biggest thing that Public Safety can do is to be as visible as we can.”

Fetrow said that currently Public Safety officers drive the golf carts and a black Honda Accord.

“We are looking to increase visibility of a Public Safety vehicle (by making) it look like a security vehicle,” Fetrow said.

Fetrow said that Public Safety and Campus Life are considering installing more security cameras.

“The idea of security cameras has been very controversial,” Fetrow said. “Students want security but they don’t want to feel that we are always watching.”

Fetrow said that some parking lot cameras might be installed, along with the recently added cameras in the library to protect the art work, which has been stolen previously.