UT Officials Attempt To Calm
Students During Open Forum

Published in The Collegian on January 30, 1992.
By Matt Javorsky, Collegian Assistant News Editor.

When MacKinnon Hall was riddled with bullet holes last week, many students became concerned about security. When the same thing happened to a young woman on campus, many students became scared.

UT officials tried to calm emotional students Tuesday morning at a meeting held in the Student Union Building Ingman Room. The meeting had been scheduled in response to the residence hall shooting last week, but turned into a press conference to discuss reaction to the murder Sunday of Melissa Herstrum.

The 19-year old sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences was found face down in the snow at the Scott Park campus Monday at 12:46 a.m. by UT police. She had been shot numerous times in the legs, back and head.

Dr. David Meabon, vice president for student affarirs and Frank Pizzulo, director of the department of public safety, addressed the group and attempted to ease concern.

Over 200 students and faculty packed into the room, and several had difficult or impossible questions for Pizzulo. One student asked Pizzulo "What is the loss of a life to your security budget? to which Pizzulo replied "There's not enough money to replace that loss."

The flow of questions was constant and the audience at times seemed dissatisfied with Pizzulo's responses. Many people in the audience said they think UT security is inadequate.

Meabon started the conference with a moment of silence in memory of Herstrum. He said the meeting had been scheduled to discuss security concerns on campus, but that, given the tragedy that had occurred, the time would be used to address any concerns students had.

Pizzulo began the meeting by outling the UT police policies. He said UT's department of public safety consists of three separate entities: police and security, parking, and health and safety. In the police section of the department, he said "We have 27 authorized positions, including myself."

The most frequent complaint voiced at the meting by students was the lack of manpower or the staff of the UT Police. Several students said they rarely, if ever, see any UT security patrolling the campuses, especially at night.

In his opening statement, Pizzulo said, "We currently have two vacancies that we are in the process of filling." He said the university's hiring freeze does not apply to the Department of Public Safety because of its importance.

Pizzulo's speech focused on the requirements an officer must meet before being hired by the university. Most students who spoke out Tuesday were not concerns with technicalities, but rather on how such a tragedy could occur on campus.

Pizzulo said campuses are normally very safe places to be. He added that there are no walls or fences around UT's campuses, and that most people enjoy their freedom. He said that, unfortunately, violent street crime does, occasionally, find its way onto campuses.

Because of a lack of information, rumors are still circulating about the murder.

Pizzulo was unable to explain what actually happened to Herstrum. He did mention that the gun used in the murder was of the same caliber as the weapon used to fire on MacKinnon Hall one week earlier, but he said no connection has yet been made between the two crimes.

Following the meeting, Bobbi Johnson, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said, "The unversity needs to spend money on security. The money spent on computerized parking-ticket issuers could be used to fund further security."

Pizzulo addressed the issue of spending in his speech by saying one-time expenditures are different from hiring new personnel.

Students who attend the Scott Park campus were particularly upset because of the lack of manpower they have observed in the past. Jim McKeller, a student senator, said "I just want some assurances that there will be more than one patrol officer at Scott Park."

No such assurance could be given by Pizzulo. He said that officers who are assigned to the Scott Park Campus walk around the building on foot. Because Herstrum's body had been in the snow from 18 to 20 hours, one student who spoke out at the meeting said he found that claim "hard to believe."

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