To the Editor:
Having grown up in Hanover, having a business here as well as many ties to the Dartmouth community, including 5 immediate family members that are alumnae, I have followed the Zantop tragedy closely. As a private investigator and operator of a security company I also have a professional interest in these events as well as the community reaction to them.
I have several observations I would like to share. The investigators working on the case, contrary to some unfounded assertions made in the press by local intelligentsia, are qualified, smart, methodical and professional. Although everyone is anxious to have a perpetrator identified, the investigators and AG's office have another very important obligation and duty, the successful prosecution of the person or persons responsible for this crime once identified.
To release information for public consumption to assuage the concerns of local citizens and feed the media, without regard to the needs of the prosecution phase of this investigation, would be reckless at best. Have confidence in them, they are paying attention and working hard, they deserve your support, not supercilious commentary. Only on television can you see the crime, watch the investigation in process, and then the trial and sentencing in under an hour.
Although it is true that Hanover is a relatively safe place to live and go to school compared to most, the town and its residents are still subject to the darkest parts of the human spirit, and the terrible lashing out that can manifest itself without warning or rational cause. Mental illness and depravity are not warded off by Ivy or hallowed halls. You have an obligation to yourself and fellow community members to be prudent about your own security. It is grating to hear otherwise perfectly intelligent people exclaim "but we never lock our doors!" as if they are affronted by the notion that they are participating in a community that has some level of criminal activity.
This is not a call to paranoia, but rather a suggestion to take some responsibility for your own personal safety and property. Taking simple steps like looking for cars before you cross the road in front of the Hop, wearing a seat belt and locking your door(s) are not unreasonable investments of time and energy in the interest of your own well being and those around you.
