On Feb. 10, the University of Massachusetts Police Department sent an email to the University community with the subject header “Crime Alert: Southwest Disturbance.”
The email asked all faculty members, staff and students to visit the police department’s website “for an important public safety crime alert.”
The link took viewers to a post on the UMPD’s website seeking assistance in identifying “individuals who were involved in the post-Super Bowl disturbance in the Southwest Residential Area on Feb. 5, 2012.”
Additionally, the police told the community that “anyone with information as to the identity of these individuals is encouraged to contact the UMPD Detective Bureau TIPS line at 577-8477.”
According to Detective Gerald Perkins, as of Sunday afternoon “several tips have come in,” to the hotline, though the UMPD declined to comment on the status of the investigation.
Deputy Chief of Police Patrick Archbald addressed why the department is looking for these individuals.
“After dispersal order is given, if you remain in that area you are then in violation of the dispersal order [and] in violation of the law and subject to arrest. Everyone there was subject to arrest. [We are] looking at the footage and very seriously looking at additional charges.”
The email received a mention on the popular Facebook page UMass Memes. The page featured a college-aged male smoking a marijuana cigarette with the text, “Recognizes robe girl from riot, doesn’t rat her out to UMPD.” The meme was liked by 95 people.
-Collegian News Staff
The Rest of US • Mar 9, 2012 at 5:18 pm
For people like Marrisa, I’d rather those kids booted from the university. It’s not the administration considering most arrests came from undercover officers, meaning students were not provoked by the police and were stupid. Such idiots need not apply here, maybe they can go to the trust fund parties over at Amherst but some of us have to earn our way up in life.
Ed Cutting • Feb 14, 2012 at 11:23 pm
“After dispersal order is given, if you remain in that area you are then in violation of the dispersal order [and] in violation of the law and subject to arrest. Everyone there was subject to arrest. [We are] looking at the footage and very seriously looking at additional charges.”
Yes Patrick. And what authority did you have to give it?
Particularly where rioting wasn’t happening?
I have no respect for you. NONE.
If I don’t graduate because of your order, YOU GET SUED!
Personally.
Ed Cutting • Feb 14, 2012 at 11:21 pm
I hope the UMPD have good lawyers because those schmucks are going to be needing them.
Danielle • Feb 14, 2012 at 10:11 am
Who are you all to judge the residents in southwest? People literally took cabs from all over town to come to southwest to see what was going on. The fact that administration made such a big deal out of it before anything had even happened raised curiosity in the student body. In my opinion, the administration (maybe unintentionally) provoked the kids in the first place. They had numerous previous emails, two cops standing outside of every building for the entire day before the game, and people had to start signing in to the buildings by 4 pm. These actions instigated the already excited students by doubting them and putting ideas in their heads. The administration completely handled this situation wrong and I think they need to take some of the blame in what happened.
mason • Feb 14, 2012 at 1:55 am
Southwest definitely has a dilapidated and unappealing appearance to it. It looks like a housing project.
Although that probaly has nothing to do with the riot. In terms of student rowdiness I think the adminstration needs to stop being repressive and so controlling; they seem to consistently fail in whatever they try to do.
G. • Feb 14, 2012 at 1:30 am
Stop blaming all southwest people for this, some of them aren’t even involved. Students from ALL OVER campus congregate in SW, so it’s not just one residential area.
Irrational • Feb 13, 2012 at 1:37 pm
Oh my gosh, look at those rioters standing there! Next thing you know they’ll be setting buildings on fire!
A. Imning • Feb 13, 2012 at 11:53 am
When you accept morons into the university, they do moronic stuff, like riot for no good reason.
I don’t see this changing anytime soon, because the university needs to have a certain amount of students each year for fiscal reasons. The current applicant pool isn’t strong enough, so they just end up accepting all these morons.
JJ • Feb 13, 2012 at 8:34 am
The reason why it only happened in Southwest is because the people there are an embarrassment to Umass. Southwesters will start a ruckus over anything, just to further establish their bro status. They knew what the response was going to be like if they gathered en masse like that, and now they cry regarding the consequences. So glad they are taking freshmen out of Southwest. U MAD BROS?
Marisa • Feb 12, 2012 at 9:58 pm
“Deputy Chief of Police Patrick Archbald addressed why the department is looking for these individuals.
“After dispersal order is given, if you remain in that area you are then in violation of the dispersal order [and] in violation of the law and subject to arrest. Everyone there was subject to arrest. [We are] looking at the footage and very seriously looking at additional charges.”
So essentially, let’s go after all these kids for being there because we can. They also don’t seem to understand that so many people went because they received the email and wanted to see what was going to happen.
All the attention paid to this one incident also makes it appear to media that the entire campus was this way, when in other areas of campus there wasn’t a peep.
Marisa • Feb 12, 2012 at 9:38 pm
This is absolute insanity. The way that UMass had handled this situation has been an utter disgrace.
1. They never should have sent the first email in the first place.
2. They have shamed us as students and made the situation worse. Why is it always the administration versus the students here? I have been to insane and out of control parties at Amherst College in their dorm lobbies. Amherst College police just walk around and are fine with everything. I am not saying we need that at UMass, but the way in which UMass handles students and their complete and utter lack of respect for their own students is outrageous. You wonder why alumni don’t give money back? Because you held a noise violation over their head or sent their PICTURE TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON ASSOCIATED WITH UMASS therefore RUINING them. And for what? being a drunken idiot??
3. Of course people who did act violently should be in trouble, I am not saying they shouldn’t be
4. The email sent by the administration with the photos was entirely inappropriate and disgusting. Again: the administration should be working with students, not against them. If a violent or hateful act was not committed they had NO reason to ruin those students like that.
5. I was sitting in Marcus 131 a few hours after the email went out. A man came in and a police officer stood outside the door. The man showed a note to my professor who then asked if some girl was there. My heart was racing so hard. In a time where violence is common on college campuses, I thought there was a person with a gun in the building or something. The police officer was outside of the door. I could be wrong, but I believe they were there to try and get the girl in the photos. This was so important that they needed to come disrupt a class in the middle of lecture? Not to mention the complete lack of sensitivity or thought to what the situation may look like to students sitting in that class.
I am disgusted by the handling of this situation by the UMass administration. It is impossible to forget the confessed rapist who stayed on campus only a few years ago. If only the administration would have treated that case as seriously as this one.