The latest police reports indicate University of Wisconsin students were not among those arrested in connection with Saturday night’s State Street riots. Statistically, out-of-town visitors were overwhelmingly the cause of the most serious offenses.

As of Monday afternoon, 16 arrests were reported in connection with the riots. Police arrested four people from the Madison area, but none of them were UW students.

Although the statistics are incomplete because police reports are still coming in, the current arrest figures show out-of-towners were the major cause of offenses such as disorderly conduct, resisting an officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said statistics show UW students weren’t as responsible for the riots as the press has been indicating.

“I believe the black eye that the student body is receiving in national press is very unwarranted,” Verveer said.

Verveer pointed to a few out-of-towners as a major cause of the riots but emphasized that most visitors were peaceful.

“There were obviously thousands of out-of-town revelers on State Street,” Verveer said. “The vast majority of them were very peaceful and responsible; unfortunately a small minority of out-of-town idiots ruined the party that up until the end was relatively problem free.”

Verveer said he believes a lack of respect for the city of Madison on the part of a few individuals led to the riots.

“I am convinced that most of the mob that was hell-bent on vandalizing the street and attempting to injure cops were from out of town. I can’t imagine anybody from Madison that has a stake in the community acting in such an inhumane fashion,” he said.

Caroline Burke, a University of Wisconsin student, believes those placing blame on out-of-town visitors for this past weekend’s melee are just kidding themselves.

“Blaming out-of-towners is an excuse,” she said. “I think its naíve to blame people [from] out of town.”

Burke is concerned Saturday’s State Street riot could prove detrimental to her alma mater’s reputation.

“I think it could change the reputation,” she said. “It’s already seen as something of a party school.”

Police, however, confirm Verveer’s belief that out-of-towners were a large part of the problem.

“By and large, I think most of the people were not problematic, particularly people from Madison,” Madison Police Capt. Bill Housely said. “It’s folks from out of town looking for trouble.”

Housely said those rounded up and arrested were residents from states as far away as New York and Texas.

“There were people from out of town who wanted to see this thing deteriorate into some sort of violent ending,” he said.

Madison Police Lt. Cameron McLay agreed with Housely, saying most of the key players in Saturday night’s riot were not UW students, who have more stake in Madison than visitors.

“When people visit from another town, it’s not home for them,” McLay said. “When you’re out of your town you don’t have as much of a social conscience.”

McLay said he has received phone calls from apologetic students, while Housley said State Street residents were “understandable and appreciative” and thanked police officers.

“I believe students saw it as people who came in and disrespected their neighborhood,” Housley said. “From a police perspective, I know of no officers down on State Street saying, ‘darn UW students, they did it again.'”

Both Housley and McLay are confident Saturday’s events will not have lasting strain on Madison police-student relations.

“Students too wanted to see this event peaceful,” Housley said. “We have common goals in that regard. I’m sure many students are wondering how this got out of hand.”

Housley drew comparisons between this past weekend’s events and the Mifflin Block Party riot of 1996. That year an annual street festival spiraled out of control as rioters set fire to porch furniture and cars, provoking a confrontation between partiers and police, and leaving a number from both sides injured. As a field commander at the Mifflin riot, Housley recalled a significant number of arrested participants from outside the Madison area.

Despite police statistics suggesting rioters consisted primarily of out-of-towners, Burke feels the student community is avoiding a central issue.

“Alcohol was the culprit,” she said. “Students and their drinking should take some responsibility.”