Release of race gets mixed reactions

The University Police Department's new policy of releasing the race of suspects to the media prompted a broad array of reactions from minority communities at the University. Police and University administrators offered only vague explanations for the rationale behind the decision, but students yesterday reacted to the decision either with harsh criticism or qualified approval. "I'm skeptical at best, and I'm very wary of this issue. I feel scared because of the negative effect [the decision] can have on race relations," Wharton junior and Black Student League President Martin Dias said last night. United Minorities Council Chairperson You-Lee Kim said releasing racial descriptions of suspects is appropriate only in certain cases. "My general sense is that as long as the information is released very carefully, that it can be useful for safety and security purposes. I think it can be harmful when suspects who have been caught are identified by race," she said. "I don't think that a person's race should be revealed unless it is crucial for identification purposes," she added. Dias, however, said that releasing the race of a suspect is never beneficial. "I'm very suspicious -- it will not tend to alleviate the crime situation. All it is going to do is fuel the fire of racial insensitivity," he added. But University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said last week that "based upon questions from The Daily Pennsylvanian, this department took a look at its standing policy and decided it was appropriate to change what we felt was no longer appropriate. It was as simple as that." Wharton freshman Brian Gilliard said the decision is "kind of a good idea -- it will be beneficial in trying to apprehend people." On the other hand, he added that although the decision "might decrease the crime somewhat, it might cause the University community to look down on blacks in the neighborhood as well as in the University." Wharton junior Onyango Adija said he does not think race is a helpful factor in descriptions. "If you want a description that's going to help a person be identified, you have to give more than just race," he said. "I don't think race is such a unique feature. Unless a description sets a person apart, I don't think it helps that much."

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