Too Secretive?

UMass Southwest Towers, built 1963

To no great surprise Chancellor Subbaswamy, head of the flagship of higher education in our education oriented state located in an education oriented town, has decided to end the "confidential informant program" overseen by UMass Police Department to get drug dealers off the streets.

Well, since UMass doesn't really have streets, off the pavement anyway.

Dumb decision.

As some of you may remember I first published the death certificate of Eric Sinacori last spring and caught a boatload of grief for doing so.

And no, I had no idea he was involved as a "witness" (according to the District Attorney's office) or "confidential informant" (according to the Boston Globe).  At the time I just thought people should know such a tragedy can happen in our little "college town."

Because when you cover up a student death by heroin here and a death where alcohol contributed  there, average people fail to get the true picture of the problem and fail to act to address it.

Now when a student dies from a drug overdose -- and they will! -- the University will have even more reason to cover it up.

Because people will rightfully say an informant may have given UMass police the vital information needed to take out the dealer prior to the victim injecting poison in their veins.

Once again UMass is putting their public image over public safety.
 

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UMass Office of News & Media Relations reports