Wednesday’s forum in Akers Hall was a positive step by both MSU police and minority student leaders toward improving relations.

More than 30 students met with police at Akers Hall to discuss relations between the police and minority students. The forum was hosted by Alpha Pi Alpha fraternity and was prompted by students’ dissatisfaction with the way police handled a gathering Sept. 7.

Roughly 500 people congregated in a Spartan Village parking lot after being turned out of LA Globe Inc., a Lansing nightclub. Police said the crowd was too large for the number of officers available and that numerous fights had erupted.

The police and students should be commended for addressing policing methods at minority events as well as the Sept. 7 gathering. Discussions and debates are the first steps toward improvement, and the police should use the forum’s feedback to improve their procedures and future policy.

The relationship between police and minorities is a concern of the entire nation. By addressing the specific problems at MSU, police are doing their part to find the solution to this widespread issue.

While MSU police could not have predicted the size and violence of the crowd, they should prepare themselves to handle large gatherings. The police should have the training to know how to deal with situations like that. With a university of 44,000 students, it is realistic to anticipate a congregation of that size.

The students who attended the forum should also be commended for taking the initiative to voice the concerns of the larger community. Students who participated should try to spread the message to their community about standards of behavior.

Also, community members should try to self-regulate and not fully rely on police to keep an event under control. They have to set standards for themselves on acceptable behavior and try to change attitudes of those who don’t agree.

One way to do this is to allow only MSU students into events. Even though it will reduce profits and might not prevent every disturbance, MSU students have more invested in the success of the event and care more about positively representing MSU than an outside student does.

MSU should hold more events attractive to minorities and more on-campus events in general. If students were provided with a positive and fun way to spend their time, they might not have to gather in a parking lot.

Students who attended the forum should spread the word to those who are not aware. They should act as positive role models for other members of their community. Police also should use what they learned from this forum to alter how they react in similar situations.

By coming together, both groups have demonstrated interest in improving student-police relations at MSU. The procedures and policies that police use in the future will benefit from these discussions.