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Officer explains use of race safety alerts
BUS says identification irrelevant
Regina Garcia Cano
Issue date: 10/15/08 Section: News
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At the organization's meeting last night, some of its members said the race of the suspects involved in the Sept. 13 robbery behind the University Library should not have been disclosed in the alert posted on FlashLine.
Lt. Thomas Etcher said the alert stated 12 black males jumped two students outside the Eastway area, robbed them and then left in different vehicles.
Etcher said, according to the Jeanne Clery Act, it is a requirement to disclose the race of the suspects in safety alerts.
"For us (police) this is not a race issue, it is a crime issue," Etcher said, adding it is their goal to make people safe.
However, some members of BUS' constituency consider the mention of the suspects' race irrelevant.
"Instead, they should have mentioned the cars they were driving or what they were wearing that night, some more characteristics," said Samuel Orr, sophomore flight technology major.
Orr said because the safety alert mentioned the race of the suspects but not the victims' races, some people may assume the victims were Caucasians.
"That race card is going to hurt the whole community," Orr said. "People are going to start profiling."
Etcher said it was irrelevant to mention the race of the people who were robbed because they were victims.
BUS historian Dylan Sellers said after the alert was released Sept. 13, members of the organization expressed their concern about the wording of the alert to the BUS officers. As a result, the executive board of BUS met with John Peach, director of public safety and Kent State police chief.
Sellers said Peach agreed to disclose a second statement before the end of this week to release the latest information about the investigation.
Sellers said the focus of the organization's meeting was to increase the importance of voting among their constituency. But he said the audience's conversation with the police lasted longer than expected.
Contact minority affairs reporter Regina Garcia Cano at rgarcia1@kent.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 12
DJ
posted 10/15/08 @ 6:07 AM EST
They have got to be kidding! This is a safety alert, not a public interest story. This just goes on to show the ignorance of that group as a whole, and if they are not happy at Kent, they just all need to BUS their asses out of town and maybe consider Wright State, where everything there is black on black, so there is no need to mention race with any crime, as at Wright everything is plain as day. (Continued…)
Bill Shanely
posted 10/15/08 @ 12:02 PM EST
Hey BUS, you mean to tell me, if the cops are looking for suspects, they should not give out RACE. Kinda like looking for a car, but not giving out the color. (Continued…)
notanignoramus
posted 10/15/08 @ 1:46 PM EST
Just as I said in the other thread about this (a Letter to the Editor circa 9/13/08), the race of the suspects may have been the only thing the victim had time to note. (Continued…)
BUS Public Relations
posted 10/15/08 @ 4:15 PM EST
The REAL topic of discussion for the meeting last night was EARLY VOTING. Due to concerns from our constituents as well as other students on campus, we talked to the Kent State Police in a meeting last week about the incident. (Continued…)
-------------
posted 10/15/08 @ 9:03 PM EST
Regardless of what the meeting started out as being, it is NOT racist to state the skin color of a suspect (or a group of suspects). Tell me BUS: would it not be ok to state that a group of white males was on the loose after mugging someone?
Skin color is crucial in id'ing a suspect; a panicked victim can't rely solely on clothing (of all 12?) when it's already dark outside. (Continued…)
DJ
posted 10/15/08 @ 9:34 PM EST
Robin is so correct. And, may I ask Dwayne, how do you in fact know that the suspects, the perpetrators, are not in fact KSU students? Are you protecting some of your friends, or friends of friends? Take your information to the Police. (Continued…)
notanignoramus
posted 10/15/08 @ 11:15 PM EST
With all due respect, Dwayne, I think members of B.U.S. became more panicked over the police bulletin than those of us folk-of-the-pale-epidermis.
YouWereAtTheWrongMeeting
posted 10/16/08 @ 11:41 PM EST
I thought the meeting was supposed to be about the difference between the Kent State and Kent City Police Departments. Maybe the officer was prepared to discuss that and not what he ended up discussing. (Continued…)
12 Angry (Black) Men (VAGUE)
posted 10/18/08 @ 3:04 AM EST
The only reason people are frustrated is because many of the idiots on campus would take to heart that it was "12 Black men" and that the idiots would start profiling. (Continued…)
12 Angry (Black) Men (VAGUE)
posted 10/18/08 @ 3:13 AM EST
And besides...people can complain about whatever they want. Don't read the articles about BUS (or any other organization who may have something you don't agree with), and keep it moving if you have a problem with it. (Continued…)
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