UNC officials have completed a review of the Alert Carolina system after a failure in alerting the campus of two armed robberies last week.

Carolina Chancellor Carol Folt called the communication breakdown “unacceptable” in an informational message sent out to the UNC campus, on Friday.

The message was a follow up after the Alert Carolina messaging system was put through a review because it failed to quickly alert the campus community of two armed robberies last Wednesday.

READ MORE: Alert Carolina Late to Alarm Students of 2 Armed Robberies

UNC says part of the notification system worked as planned when the robberies were reported just before 11 o’clock. All of the six sirens sounded after being activated by the Department of Public Safety and broadcasted short pre-recorded voice messages about the initial threat and the “all clear” message that was to come. The statement says officers also quickly secured the crime scene and set up a perimeter in close coordination with Chapel Hill police.

But the remainder of the alert system failed; a text message to registered cell phones, an e-mail, and posts on the official university social media platforms were all delayed by an estimated 45 minutes, which caused some confusion as to the seriousness of the alert sirens.

A review of the system found two human errors, compounded with a computer glitch, caused the problem. The human errors have not been specified by Carolina at this time.

University officials say they are working to refine and improve the Alert Carolina system in order to maintain the safety of individuals on and around campus.

The system will be tested on August 26 as part of the annual fall siren test.

READ MORE: Chapel Hill, Durham Police Team Up to Solve Recent Armed Robbery Cases

Authorities with UNC, Chapel Hill, and Duke are still working to identify suspects in armed robbery cases with similar circumstances that have occurred across both campuses and in the town.

Related Stories
‹
Police: UNC Student Victim of Carjacking in W. Franklin Street Parking Deck
Chapel Hill Police are investigating the carjacking of a UNC student that took place early Saturday morning. No injuries are reported.
Chapel Hill Police Investigate Pair of Overnight Armed Robberies Reported 8 Minutes Apart
A pair of armed robberies reportedly took place less than ten minutes from each other during the early morning hours of Saturday, according to Chapel Hill Police.
Carolina Ready Safety App Sends Emergency Alerts to Broader Chapel Hill Community
When an emergency is happening on UNC’s campus, students, faculty and staff get an Alert Carolina text message delivered directly to their phone number, but how can Chapel Hill residents get those same safety notifications?
UNC Police: Suspect in Mason Farm Road Shooting Now Caught
UPDATE: The UNC Police Department said it has arrested and charged a suspect in the shooting off Mason Farm Road earlier in April. An Alert Carolina shared with the campus community on Tuesday that authorities had located and apprehended the suspect earlier in the day. 28-year-old Ronnell Canion was arrested Durham County before being transferred […]
Drink Tampering and Physical Assault Reported at UNC Frat House
UNC Police have received a report of an alleged incident of drink tampering and physical assault at 216 East Rosemary Street in Chapel Hill, which is the location of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house. The alleged incident took place on August 26. !AlertCarolina! Crime Alert: UNC Police received report of alleged drink tampering and […]
Chapel Hill Police Investigating Reported Assault Near Columbia Street
The Chapel Hill Police Department is investigating a reported assault from the early morning hours of Wednesday. A release from the Town of Chapel Hill said officers responded to reports of an assault around 2:30 a.m. A female victim was walking near the 500 block of North Columbia Street and told police officers she had […]
Chapel Hill Police Make Arrest Following Indecent Exposure Incident
The Chapel Hill Police Department arrested a man Wednesday afternoon for indecent exposure. A release from the Town of Chapel Hill said authorities charged Anthony Covington, 55, around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday for exposing himself in public. The town said Orange County and UNC 911 Communications received at least five calls from people on UNC’s […]
UNC Police: Female Victim Fondled in Davis Library
UNC Police released an image of the suspect on Friday afternoon.**** Campus police are investigating a report of a female victim being fondled in the Davis Library at UNC. An Alert Carolina message said the incident occurred around 11 o’clock Thursday morning. The suspect has been described as a male in his mid-40s, approximately […]
UNC to Test Emergency Siren on Tuesday
UNC will test the emergency sirens and emergency communication system Tuesday, February 16, at 12:30 p.m. The Alert Carolina System and sirens are tested each semester to make sure the equipment and notification processes work as planned. During the test, anyone outside on campus or near campus likely will hear the sirens. Sirens are not […]
Alert Carolina Late to Alarm Students of 2 Armed Robberies
UNC Police are investigating reports of two armed robberies on the Carolina campus last night. An Alert Carolina message says that the robberies occurred near Aycock Hall and Raleigh Road just before 11 o’clock last night. Police are searching for two suspects, one estimated 6′ tall and the other approximately 5’10”. In the first robbery, […]
›