Police post images of student
revelers
By Dave Stephens
Assistant
Campus Editor
Purdue Police have posted on the Internet the images
of about 100 students who were videotaped or photographed during the
disturbance that followed the women’s NCAA Championship game.
The images, which, according to the Web site www.police.purdue.edu,
show "suspected offenders," were posted in the hope that they
will lead to the positive identification of people involved in the events
that caused more than $60,000 in damage to Purdue and West Lafayette.
"It’s our hope that all of the people
in the photos will be identified," said Linda Stump, chief of police
for the Purdue Police Department. "And depending on the circumstances
of their activities … their names will be forwarded to the Dean
of Students."
The images were posted at 1 p.m. on Thursday, and
the Web site received 2,800 hits in four hours. The images show students
in a wide range of behavior, from starting fires to standing in the
crowd with their hands in their pockets.
Stump said the students in the images doing illegal
activity as well as those standing in the crowd could face possible
prosecution.
"The photos are of people who were asked to
leave the area and did not obey," said Stump. "It’s about
choices; these are the people who choose to be there, they made the
decision to stay."
The Internet postings came a day after the University
offered an up to $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest
and conviction of anyone who vandalized property in a four-block area
surrounding campus.
Jeanne Norberg, director of University News Service,
said that one student admitted involvement in turning over a car parked
in the Northwestern Street Parking Garage. But she said many people
have not been motivated to come forward.
"Police are looking at all sources of information:
photos, videotape, personal accounts and media resources," said
Norberg.
When asked if students who talked to the media
were having their rights violated by being called in for question, Norberg
replied, "If someone admitted in the newspaper to murdering someone
… they would be called in for questioning. That’s what happening
here … just because they are being called in doesn’t mean
they will be punished."
But even students who did nothing illegal could
still face disciplinary action from the University.
"It may be legal for someone to be there,"
said Norberg, "but it doesn’t mean that it’s not against
the student conduct code."
Norberg said for each student’s image that
is posted on the Internet, there is accompanying videotape of each student
participating in wrong doing.
"Each case will be evaluated on its own merit,
but the images on the Web are of students who were throwing things,
vandalizing, starting fires or disobeying policemen’s orders,"
said Norberg.
Norberg said students shouldn’t fear Purdue
turning into a police state or make references to being watched by "big
brother" because what they were doing was wrong.
"(Students) were posing for the TV cameras,"
said Norberg. "How is that any different from us posting it on
the Web?"
Norberg said the penalties handed out by the University
would include probation, suspension and expulsion as well as prosecution
for students who violated the law. "If we have information (that
can lead to a student being) prosecuted, then they will be prosecuted."
Jerry Bean, Tippecanoe County prosecutor, said
he hasn’t reviewed many cases yet, but charges will be made.
"It will depend on what they are doing …
we will look at all the information forwarded to us by the different
agencies and then make a determination," said Bean.
Bean said the current administration is to be applauded
for taking action against the student revelers.
"I’ve been impressed with President Jischke's
position and how the University is responding," said Bean. "The
University is taking a much stronger response than it has in the past."
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