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Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

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U creating website to identify students in riot

The website could be up by the end of this week.

In response to the riots that erupted in Dinkytown Saturday night, the University of Minnesota is creating a website where students can identify those involved through videos and photos. The website, which will be part of the UniversityâÄôs Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity, could be up and running by the end of this week Jerry Rinehart, Vice Provost for Student Affairs said Tuesday. The website will link to photos and videos with âÄúreasonable visual accuracy,âÄù and allow students to anonymously identify those pictured. The students identified through the website would most likely face University code of conduct punishment, not criminal charges, Rinehart said. Rinehart said he is not sure yet whether people will be able to post their own media on the website. âÄúItâÄôs not a particularly fun thing to do,âÄù Rinehart said. âÄúI would bet that many people think âÄòoh thatâÄôs really sleazyâÄô but we have to do our best to police this community.âÄù Rinehart said the website will give students who are concerned about the riots a chance to take action. A similar website was put up after the 2003 hockey riots on campus. Identifications made on the website led to multiple prosecutions, University police Deputy chief Chuck Miner said. However, unlike the hockey riots, SaturdayâÄôs Spring Jam events took place off-campus, leaving action in the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. Miner said UMPD will forward any information they receive from the website that involves criminal activity to MPD.

Discuss the issue further at Daily Forums: Will you help U investigate?

Aaron Timinski, an aerospace engineering junior, was at the riot taking photos and said he would not contribute his photos to the website. He said he doesnâÄôt expect many students to participate on the website. âÄúYou canâÄôt know who did what based off of just pictures,âÄù he said, adding that many of the students captured in his photographs had no idea what was going on. âÄúEverything that happened may not have been lawful, but I donâÄôt think just based on pictures you can point fingers at someone and ruin their lives,âÄù he said.

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