The independent commission reviewing the April 2-3 disturbances should be teargassed to know what people on the streets of East Lansing went through, said commission member Derek Wallbank.
"I don't think we have been exposed to chemical munitions," the journalism junior said.
Exposing healthy members of the independent commission to tear gas was just one of the ideas discussed at the group's meeting on Tuesday morning.
The request to teargas the 11 members was sent to the city attorney's office for review, said East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows, who heads the commission.
A police-estimated crowd of about 3,000 people poured out into the city after the men's basketball team loss to the University of North Carolina in the Final Four. Area agencies pooled their resources and sent 297 officers out to keep crowds at bay.
To help arrest rowdy people, East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert suggested that officers dress in civilian clothing and mix into crowds during sporting events. That way, the few bad apples can be taken away from celebratory fans, he said.
"It probably would have been better to be less defensive that night," he said. "Plain clothes officers would have been very useful. I suspect we will have some included in our next plan.
"Our goal was to have the appearance of more officers (in April). We had more cops on the street than before, but it didn't feel like it was enough. If we had more available, we would have put them in plain clothes."
Some in the audience at the meeting thought that having officers dressed in plain clothing could help eliminate tensions between police and passersby.
"In 2000 and 2001, the officers were not in full uniform, and that seemed to have a good effect," said Ginny Haas, director of community relations for MSU. "It is also important to remember we had 20,000 people out in 2000."
A presentation focusing on civil disturbances at other major universities around the country was presented by MSU police Lt. Doug Monette. Police tactics, the use of tear gas and riot gear were probed.
"This is to help identify a proactive approach used by other universities," he said. "The information is not conclusive, but it can act is a guide."
Area law-enforcement agencies, in addition to the commission, are working to tweak plans for future disturbances.
To help understand what causes people to take part in a disturbance, commission members are getting in touch with psychologists who study behavior associated with a mob mentality.
"We need to figure out what causes it," said commission member Joe Tuchinsky, who also serves as a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union. "I have made a few calls to people at MSU's campus."
The commission also talked about lengthening its meeting schedule so that students returning for the fall semester would have a chance to come in and testify.
"I would love to have some students here," Wallbank said.
Kris Turner can be reached at turne112@msu.edu.
