*****LEATH VEISHEA PRESSER LIVE STREAM*****

[IcSyU]

It's VEISHA week. Was the APD staffed correctly given the issues in the past

It's a college town with a history of unrest when the weather gets nice. What contingency plans are in place to meet these issues?

Was there an on call pool of law enforcement to call in when the situation started to boil over?

So far it sounds like the only plan was thinking it was Tuesday and nothing could happen.

You think the Ames law enforcement shouldn't have plans in place to keep this activity from happening? Rely on luck?

Again I'm not defending knuckleheads who did this, but what role does the APD have in preventing and/or quelling disorder in town?

By the time you try and assemble it's already too late. Did the idiots who started walk up and say, "Yo Officer! We got this riot 'bout to go down right over there!"

The Ames Police Department shouldn't have to use their resources to keep adults from being *** holes.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Spot on.

It would seem that the argument being made is that there isn't enough trouble to warrant cancelling the event. But enough for the Ames PD to call in the reserves and be in full riot mode at a moments notice.

Just can't get my head wrapped around that. "It's not a problem. But it's their fault for not foreseeing the problems"

Then punish the ones involved with last night. Don't cancel the events that have zero-zip-nada to do with too much booze and too little brains.

 

[Al_4_State]

I agree with some of this, but I don't really think it's reasonable to just expect the university to look the other way on the connection between VEISHEA-parties-occasional riots. Did you really think he was going to address the press and say "most years this doesn't happen, so we're not going to change a damn thing"?

I expected him not to overreact and throw the baby out with the bathwater. Punish those responsible for personal injury and property damage. Don't punish the rest.

I expected too much.

 

[tm3308]

So if we all go to Iowa City, riot, and cause mayhem while shouting "Let's go Hawkeyes!" they'll cancel Hawkeye sports?

I've seen some dense arguments in my time, but this is one of the densest.

 

[Tornado man]

It's VEISHA week. Was the APD staffed correctly given the issues in the past

It's a college town with a history of unrest when the weather gets nice. What contingency plans are in place to meet these issues?

Was there an on call pool of law enforcement to call in when the situation started to boil over?

So far it sounds like the only plan was thinking it was Tuesday and nothing could happen.

You think the Ames law enforcement shouldn't have plans in place to keep this activity from happening? Rely on luck?

Again I'm not defending knuckleheads who did this, but what role does the APD have in preventing and/or quelling disorder in town?

This is rich. The only "specifics" you provided were "more staffing,", and more "on call" police available once the riots break out?! In other words, "Ames PD, you need to prepare for the riots." As an Ames resident, I resent that my town and its police dept. should "prepare themselves" for a student festival where riots, property damage, and personal injuries or deaths should be somehow expected and planned for. Good god.

 

[NATEizKING]

Link to press conference anywhere? Had a meeting.

 

[Al_4_State]

The Ames Police Department shouldn't have to use their resources to keep adults from being *** holes.

You realize that stopping adults from being *** holes is the reason Police Departments exist, right?

I'm not blaming the Ames PD for last night (at all), but that statement doesn't make a lick of sense.

 

[Judoka]

Do you think they are the same students who have put so many hours of work into VEISHEA? I doubt it. The wrong people are being punished. The ones who worked hard and tried to represent our University in a good light are being punished because people got drunk & stupid. What happened last night was NOT VEISHEA. If you think it was, then you don't understand what VEISHEA means...just like those last night didn't understand.

Rioting is as VEISHEA as cherry pies.

 

[Mr Janny]

Do you think they are the same students who have put so many hours of work into VEISHEA? I doubt it. The wrong people are being punished. The ones who worked hard and tried to represent our University in a good light are being punished because people got drunk & stupid. What happened last night was NOT VEISHEA. If you think it was, then you don't understand what VEISHEA means...just like those last night didn't understand.

I'm sorry man, you're wrong on this. Chances are, if any non-ISU alum or non-central Iowa resident has heard of VEISHEA, it's because of the party/riots. If it ever gets attention in the media (outside of local media) it's because of riots/violence. VEISHEA has a nasty reputation. What it is ain't what it was.

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

I've seen some dense arguments in my time, but this is one of the densest.

 

[tm3308]

I realize you're a hawk fan, but you do know that VEISHEA is the largest STUDENT RUN celebration in the nation right? Would it be the same, no, but to think it wouldn't continue in some capacity is dumb. The only things missing would be those most of us as alums would like to continue to see happen.

I never said it wouldn't continue in any capacity. But considering that the people who are seriously capable of organizing something so big are the ones getting **** on by the idiots who go off ******, and the idiots will be the ones trying to organize in the future, I've got little faith that they'll have the kind of success they'd be hoping for.

 

[KnappShack]

I think it's reasonable for the police to not expect a riot on the Tuesday of VEISHEA. If this were Friday or Saturday, even Thursday I could see blaming the police for not having an increased presence. Every previous riot has happened on the weekend. Tuesday is not a major partying night, even during VEISHEA. Why should they staff up hugely when there is not an expectation of large parties?

I'm not even sure how this happened. The reports I've read said only one party was broken up. That would have maybe 100-200 people max? Yet on the streets there were thousands. Where did all those people come from?

To clarify I am not blaming the police.

I'm simply asking what their role is, were they ready to perform that role, and did they execute their role correctly.

This isn't a first time situation. Were they ready? Do they have a plan? Did this need to happen? Will it happen again if law enforcement hasn't learned from the past?

 

[Al_4_State]

When was the last time a car was tipped over, a light pole torn down, and a rash of beer bottles thrown around at a FB tailgate?

I've seen 2 of these 3 things at an ISU FB tailgate in the past decade.

 

[IcSyU]

You realize that stopping adults from being *** holes is the reason Police Departments exist, right?

They shouldn't HAVE to is what I'm saying.

If they have to plan on potential riots don't you think maybe there are other issues which need to be dealt with first? Increasing presence because of the number of people on the weekend? That's ok...that's the expectation. Having to increase presence because it's a Tuesday night during VEISHEA? That's ridiculous, and if that needs to be planned around VEISHEA is the problem, not police presence.

 

[tm3308]

Sarcasm doesn't make the post any less stupid. You're comparing apples and oranges.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Bottom line...the students need to take ownership of the actions last night. Drink less, step up more. Tell people to stop destroying property. Walk away - don't cheer them on. Don't record them on cell phones and post "funny funny ha ha" videos of the destruction on-line.

This is not going to stop by any university banning. The only way for it to stop is for the students themselves to stop it. Police yourselves. Instead of drinking yourself into a stupor for "fun", try some moderation. Your community and your liver will thank you for it.

 

[MNCyGuy]

I expected him not to overreact and throw the baby out with the bathwater. Punish those responsible for personal injury and property damage. Don't punish the rest.

I expected too much.

The problem is that you now have VEISHEA and you have "woo, f'n VEISHEA!!!" and no they aren't the same thing. And no, in a just world you shouldn't lose the former because the latter has become a problem. Unfortunately, they seem to have become one in the same to a certain group of students.

 

[ISUChippewa]

There is a lot on here about punishing the wrong people. That is probably somewhat true, but if you look at the videos, it is only a very small percentage of the people who seem to be actually doing the damage. Most of the rest are standing around watching. If you do not want to participate, then that probably means you are not a moron, and you know that the behavior was wrong, so why not step up and try and stop it? The number who were not participating far out-number those who were, so why not put a stop to it? Try and act like decent human beings.

As far as cancelling VEISHEA hurting the University.....of course it does. It is an event that is a major recruiting tool for the University and its departments. It is also a showcase that allows alums to come back to the campus annually, which can have an effect on alumni contributions. Now, both of these can be overcome in other ways, but VEISHEA was a unique, annual event. It was an event that ISU and especially the students could be proud of, in that one of its major attributes was that it was the largest student-run celebration at any university in the country. To say cancelling it will not be noticed or felt by the University is ridiculous.

I'm playing Devil's Advocate to the bolded section here; if someone is drunk enough and/or dumb enough to tear down stop signs and overturn cars on the street they're probably not going to have too many issues with trying to kick someone's ***** who is more rational and/or not completely blitzed out who may try to physically restrain them from being destructive.

You do have a good point overall though; I went to UNI back in '96 during the Homecoming Weekend riots that made national news themselves and I remember coming out of a bar and seeing the massive crowd on the Hill, sensing some bad vibes from said crowd, grabbing my girlfriend and heading back to my apartment so that we could watch the havoc and chaos from there. I'm very glad I had a moment of intuition back then to keep us out of trouble that night.

 

[IcSyU]

Bottom line...the students need to take ownership of the actions last night. Drink less, step up more. Tell people to stop destroying property. Walk away - don't cheer them on. Don't record them on cell phones and post "funny funny ha ha" videos of the destruction on-line.

This is not going to stop by any university banning. The only way for it to stop is for the students themselves to stop it. Police yourselves. Instead of drinking yourself into a stupor for "fun", try some moderation. Your community and your liver will thank you for it.

In fairness, you can be drunk without being a total dip ****. Happens every weekend in Ames.

 

[MNCyGuy]

Rioting is as VEISHEA as cherry pies.

This crap right here is the problem. You can call Leath a kneejerk ******* all you want, but comments like this are the reason VEISHEA is taking a little break.