Web site adds photos to
identify revelers
By Dave Stephens
Assistant
Campus Editor
Purdue police hoped they would get many responses
to their Web site that shows images of students photographed or videotaped
during the disturbance that followed the women’s NCAA Championship
basketball game.
They have.
The images posted on the Web site, www.police.purdue.edu,
are an attempt to help identify the students involved in the disturbance
that caused over $100,000 damage to campus and West Lafayette. The site
originally had about 100 images when it was announced on Thursday, but
was expanded to about 180 photos by Friday night. The photos show students
wanted for many different activities, including starting fires, knocking
over a mailbox and cheering from the crowd.
Ron Fosnaugh, captain of special services for the
Purdue Police Department, said, "there
has been a flurry of activity, since the photos went up."
Fosnaugh said he didn’t know how many hits
the Web site has had, but he estimated several thousand. He also said
many students have already been identified, either by students turning
themselves in or by names being sent to the police.
Fosnaugh said most of the response about the Web
site he has heard has been positive.
"I think a majority of the population is all
for it, the behavior that happened that evening was done by the minority
of students," said Fosnaugh. "Most people don’t want
the University torn up, don’t want their cars messed with. They
want these people identified."
But it is how these people are being identified
that some people are questioning.
Jeff Herlitz, a freshman in the Schools of Engineering,
said posting students’ images on the Internet is fundamentally
wrong.
"This throws away the whole innocent until
proven guilty thing," said Herlitz. "It’s like a witch-hunt,
they are out to get whoever they can."
Herlitz said the University should be looking for
the people who actually caused the damage and not the people who watched
from the crowd.
Herlitz said he disliked the use of police photographs
so much that he e-mailed the Indiana Civil Liberties Union. Herlitz
said he received a reply saying that the case was already being looked
into.
"I don’t think they have just cause to
do what they are doing. I I don’t mind if they question people,
or have a tip line, but putting pictures up on the Web is wrong,"
said Herlitz.
Jim Vaca, student body president, said he supports
the police Web site because it is the best available tool to find those
involved with the disturbance.
"Obviously it’s a lot easier for students
to recognize other students," said Vaca. "I think we need
to encourage students to think twice about doing things. I don’t
think a lot of people realize the damage that it has done to Purdue’s
reputation."
Mathieu Deflem, a professor of sociology, said
posting student photos on the Internet is an overreaction by the University.
"I think the University, at least some elements,
just want to say ‘look we are doing something,’ without thinking
about the consequences."
Deflem said if Purdue wants to punish students
for being in the crowd, they should punish all of them, not just the
few who happened to be caught on film.
"I looked at the pictures and wondered what
does the picture mean," said Deflem. "Sometimes the pictures
are not conclusive, you can’t tell what that person is doing."
Deflem said students whose images are posted on
the Web site should turn themselves in. "Once you are up on the
Web there is an assumption of guilt," said Deflem. "I would
get a lawyer and turn myself in."
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