The online fighting phenomenon is one East Lansing police Capt. Kim Johnson said could become a serious issue.

“When it comes to crime being caught on video, of course we’re very concerned about it,” Johnson said. “As videotape becomes more and more common, people want to sensationalize.”

In today’s culture, everyone is trying to push the envelope, mechanical engineering senior Arun Mahapatra said. Videotaped violence, Mahapatra said, is society’s way of mimicking situations that people see on TV or in movies.

“We live in an age of shock,” Mahapatra said. “People want to emulate that in the only way they know how in ways that are available to them.”

The East Lansing Police Department has used videotapes of crime to identify witnesses and catch bank robbers, Johnson said. A handful of videos also were submitted to the department after the April 5-6 Cedar Fest riot, he said.

Regardless of involvement, if an individual is a bystander of videotaped violence, they are equally responsible for breaking it up said human biology sophomore Claire Turton.

“No matter what, they have a responsibility as peers to do something about it and do the right thing,” Turton said.

In additional to videotape, Johnson said that photographs have been equally useful to help solve crime in East Lansing.

“These videotapes and photos are extremely helpful for law enforcement,” Johnson said. “People see these photos and recognize who these people are, and it’s a great thing.”

If a videotape is turned over to law enforcement they can look at it as evidence, Johnson said, but whether or not an individual wants to tape a fight is not up to the police.

“If they videotape it or they don’t, that’s their prerogative,” Johnson said.

The fact that a monetary reward was offered for Cedar Fest videos probably helped with the amount of videotapes the department received, he said.

“Money would help to get more people interested,” Johnson said.

Web sites like www.realfights.com sell and promote actual street fights caught on video.

The appeal of videotaped fighting, Turton said, probably stems from the reality craze that has taken over the nation in recent years.

“People know that it’s real,” Turton said. “That makes it different.”