Editorial
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 18, 1998

Never Again

If you ask the University of Arizona Police Department to describe campus crime, you'll be told that the UA has all the problems of any municipality, with a few exceptions.

For example, you'll hear, there is less domestic violence.

But there are shootings.

Three at on-campus social events in less than one year. Two of the shootings have occurred at the Park Student Union.

We repeat: two shootings have occurred at the Park Student Union within a bullet's range of three residence halls and the busy night spots along East University Boulevard.

Friday night, despite off-duty police security, a fight broke out outside a Delta Sigma Theta party and 10 to 12 shots were fired.

"We are in the process of reviewing our policies and working with students to provide a safe environment for these events," UAPD Chief Harry Hueston II said Monday.

We hope that process works quickly. We hope that the UAPD, the Dean of Students' Office and student leaders work hard and fast to come up with a clear policy to ensure the safety of UA and city community members.

See, journalism freshman Keith Carmona sat at his second-floor window in Kaibab-Huachuca Residence Hall and saw Friday's fight go down. He sat within a couple hundred feet of a gunfight.

There will come a time when a kid like Keith is going to look out his window and get shot. Without swift analysis of the security regulations at campus events, there will come a time when a student crossing North Park Avenue or a student hanging out at a Park Union party will be shot.

Eventually, someone will be killed.

Even if there are 1,000 campus events in a year, three shootings is three too many.

As a community we need to contribute to an effective discussion and resolution of this campus life issue. The answer may lie in increased security or more visible police patrols around campus events. There may be an argument for restricting access to campus events to UA community members. We need to make sure these and other ideas reach the campus leadership. We need to make sure that an inclusive, committed conversation takes place.

The Arizona Daily Wildcat's Perspective pages serve to encourage the exchange of ideas. To that end, we ask you to e-mail us at WCEditor@ccit.arizona.edu and let us know your thoughts. We will forward your concerns to our campus leaders.

"We followed all the rules necessary in order to have a safe party," Delta Sigma Theta President Marte Alexander said.

It is apparent we need new rules.