Carolina Housing and the UNC Police Department are investigating more than two dozen instances of vandalism and damage within a residence hall in the last month.
A message sent to residents of Taylor Hall, which is also called Ram Village 4 and is off Skipper Bowles Drive, said around $11,000 in damages has been reported as of Wednesday. Allan Blattner, the executive director of Carolina Housing, said 26 exit signs have been broken and torn from the ceiling in recent weeks, as well as ceiling tiles damaged and panels in the elevator bent.
“Aside from being costly actions that constitute violations of the Community Living Standards,” said Blattner, “damage to fire exit signage is a serious safety concern and violation of fire code. Vandalism of this nature will not be tolerated, and we hope you will join with us as we respond to these unnecessary occurrences.”
The UNC Police Department confirmed to Chapelboro there is an open investigation into the damage, which is being repaired.
The Carolina Housing message said in addition to the university’s investigation, Ram Village 4 residents are encouraged to come forward if they have relevant information to the vandalism. Blattner said if one or more people are found responsible for the incidents, they will be fined for the cost of repairs.
But if no individual or group is identified, there’s a chance all residents might have to pay for the difference. In Wednesday’s message, Blattner pointed to a section of UNC’s Housing Contract that permits “Group Billing” for when public areas in dorms get damaged.
“This means,” he said, “all residents of a building can be collectively held responsible for the repair or replacement costs when individual responsibility for damages cannot be determined. This is only considered extreme cases such as the one in your building and is a last resort after all other accountability measures have proven ineffective.”
UNC Police said any residents who wished to share information on the vandalism in Taylor Hall should contact their resident advisor, the community director, Carolina Housing or to call UNC Police by dialing 911.
Photos via Carolina Housing.
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