From verbal threats to aggressive panhandling, some Chapel Hill business owners are taking new steps to try to protect themselves.
The windows of the Blue Horn Lounge have a front row seat to how Franklin Street's threats are growing. Some female students even come inside to ask if they can sit while waiting for the bus – just to feel safe from a constant barrage of verbal threats.
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"Since students have come back, the issues have gotten worse," said Blue Horn Lounge owner Andrew Creech.
Creech worries for his own safety every single day.
"I’ve had multiple people threaten to kill me. Multiple people threaten to assault or rape my staff," Creech said.
"I was actually threatened with rape. He just screamed out how he was going to rape me, assault me, stab me," bartender McKayla Hensley said.
They bought a Taser and both now have body cameras, hoping to record some of what they encounter on the sidewalks of Franklin Street to bring awareness.
"Social media does a lot. When people see that sort of thing, they’re going to be up in arms," Hensley said. "People don’t realize how bad it is. So if we can expose that a little bit by wearing a body camera around town, then I’m willing to do that."
Creech said he has been meeting with other Franklin Street business owners and police about what to do regarding this complex issue.
Debra Lampley lives on Franklin Street. She said she usually feels safe in the area, but was startled by a recent incident.
"I was sitting outside of Epilogue Books with my two-year-old granddaughter. We were just minding our business when a man approached us. He started banging on a bench, and got real close to my little one’s face and screamed at her," Lampley said.
"I've heard from my neighbors and we've also heard from students that there is a lot of fear about going down Franklin Street these days," she said.
Creech said he acknowledges there's no easy solution as many of the frequent offenders, he said, are experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges.
"The issue is very complex," Creech said. "We have some people that are homeless and are seeking out help and getting the help. Others who just don't want help and are out here causing problems all the time."
"What we really need is more active help out here on the street," he said.
A dad of two daughters at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, David Pawloski said he spends a lot of time on the phone. He said he too recognizes that some of the offenders are dealing with challenging circumstances.
"Those people have a right to be on that street, it’s a public place. But students can and should expect a safe environment, and that the university is doing everything they can to make sure it’s safe at all times," Pawloski said.
Chapel Hill Assistant Police Chief Celisa Lehew said she's also been involved in discussions about the issues on Franklin Street.
"It’s this balance of enforcement and coming to the table and providing treatment, resources, those kind of things," Lehew said.
Lehew said police have arrested a number of people for things like communicating threats and being drunk and disruptive and addressing this is a department priority.
"We have added or are using our overtime budget in order to staff some extra patrols every day on Franklin and Rosemary to have that visible presence out there," she said.
Since May 1 on Franklin Street, public information officer Alex Carrasquillo said Chapel Hill police have made three arrests for communicating threats, five arrests for drunk or disruptive behavior and made one citation for indecent exposure.
Some students said they have to come up with their own safety measures — like not walking alone.
"Occasionally, I'll get worried to go by myself, but if I have somebody else with me, I feel like it's safe enough," said freshmen Stella Moorman.
A university spokesperson said the school coordinates with Chapel Hill Police regularly, but the majority of the efforts are by the Chapel Hill Police Department.