[IP] A downside of police surveillance and the Web: IDing pot smokers who committed no crime [priv]
Begin forwarded message:
From: Tim Meehan <tmeehan@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: May 2, 2006 1:31:38 AM EDT
To: Declan <declan@xxxxxxxx>
Cc: David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: A downside of police surveillance and the Web: IDing pot
smokers who committed no crime [priv]
More info...
Pubdate: Mon, 01 May 2006
Source: Colorado Daily (UC Edu, CO)
Contact: letters@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Author: Paula Pant, Colorado Daily Staff Writer
4/20 CRACKDOWN
Were you on Farrand Field at 4:20 p.m. on Thursday, April 20?
If so, chances are your photo may be online.
150 photos of people who were on Farrand Field during the annual
"4/20" marijuana-smoking event were posted online last week by the
University of Colorado Police Department.
CUPD is offering a $50 reward for each person identified, and
identified people are subject to possible "criminal charges," said
spokesman Lt. Tim McGraw. Identified people may also receive a ticket
and $100 fine and may need to appear before CU's Judicial Affairs
Office.
Farrand Field was closed to the public on April 20, and anyone who
was on the field - regardless of whether or not they were smoking
marijuana - can be charged with criminal trespassing, a class three
misdemeanor.
"It's pretty hard to tell the smokers from the spectators,"
acknowledged interim CU spokesperson Barrie Hartman. "We're going
after the trespassers."
McGraw said those photographed smoking would also be sanctioned for
marijuana use by the police department.
Most of the photos clearly depict people smoking from a glass piece
or rolled-up paper. Photos taken from a side-profile angle are
complemented by an additional photo that displays a clearly
identifying headshot.
According to McGraw, more than 50 tips were fielded by CUPD in the
first three hours after the photos were posted online.
McGraw refused to discuss how the photos were taken, but several
photos posted online display a time code, which indicate that the
"photos" are actually still frames of a videotape.
"It's rolling. It's a video. Someone doesn't have to take a picture.
They're just walking around," said "Brian," a non-student with a
professional background in digital video imaging who was on Farrand
Field at 4:20 pm on April 20. "(The police) sure took their time (to
create clear images of people's faces) - they pulled multiple frames."
A Colorado Daily review of the hour, minute, second and frame count
documented on the time code indicate that someone videotaped the
crowd from the inside for 18 minutes. The recording's start time is
unknown, but occurred after 4:05, when people broke through the
barricades and rushed onto the field.
According to "Brian," this video camera wasn't necessarily large
enough to be seen.
"You can have it in your purse, on your clothing, on your shoulder,
in your bag," said "Brian." "It could be some cute girl walking around."
The event is a well-known annual tradition that was attended by about
2,500 people this year. The decision to start punishing attendees was
brought on by "the legislature and those alumni who think we should
crack down on those who do this," said Hartman.
"We feel some pressure there. The legislature can find all kinds of
reasons to not approve money for us," said Hartman.
Student government tri-executive Jeremy Jimenez, who lobbies for CU
funding at the state capital on behalf of the student body, said that
no legislator has directly asked him about the April 20 event "during
their meetings, but it does come up in topics of discussion (outside
the sessions)." He said he supports the crackdown.
"If students are doing something illegal, they should face the
consequences," said Jimenez.
Yet some feel CU is misdirecting its resources.
"The school needs to understand that 2,500 students smoking marijuana
on a field is not nearly as bad as one student drinking themselves to
death," said Mason Tvert, campaign director for Safer Alternative for
Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER), a state-based nonprofit organization
that advocates that marijuana is a safer recreational alternative to
alcohol.
"Could you imagine if CU police officers took the time to photograph
this many students drinking at every tailgate or fraternity party and
then offered rewards for identifying them?" said Tvert.
--
Tim Meehan
National Capital Reformers
Ottawa, Ontario Canada
http://www.ncrefs.ca
tmeehan@xxxxxxxxx
Tel +1 613 230 1937
Cel +1 613 322 5272
Fax +1 613 230 4521
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