A week after the first riot in four years shook downtown College Park, the dust is finally beginning to settle. And in the light of day, an image is beginning to form: a police department prone to violence and a blemish on the university’s reputation that could have been avoided.

After the violence that erupted on Route 1 following the Terps’ victory over Duke, we criticized both students and police. Students were foolish to flood into the streets and block traffic, while police in riot gear stood by ready for a fight. And police decided to use force instead of brains to clear the scene. But while some students certainly provoked police, the accusations against Prince George’s County Police paint a picture of officers on a power trip bloodying bystanders indiscriminately.

One of the arrested students claims he was on his way to Santa Fe Café when he was handcuffed. He said officers taunted him and other arrested students while they sat in handcuffs at Ritchie Coliseum. When asking to use the bathroom, they were told to “piss their pants.” And in yesterday’s Washington Post, a College Park homeowner relays the story of how he was riding his bike back from the game and was charged at by an officer brandishing a nightstick.

The actions of county police only perpetuate a long-standing reputation of a department that finds violence a sensible solution to most problems. Last semester, an off-duty police officer shot and wounded two shoplifters fleeing Rugged Wearhouse when his sleeve got caught in their car window.

Just two days later, county police killed a man described as having mental problems armed with two knives inside a 7-Eleven after he lunged at a police dog; police shot him multiple times. At one point, the department had gotten so out of hand that the U.S. Department of Justice was forced to issue a formal complaint against them in 2004.

This is the profile of a department that shoots (or beats) first, long before they think of the consequences. In the days since last week’s riot, the department has refused to release the names of students arrested. Their attitude toward the complaints levied against them, from excessive force to the harassment of arrested students, has been met with indifference, as if they see no real problem.

While violence is sometimes necessary when confronting dangerous criminals, county police should reevaluate how they deal with excited college students. Because of the riots of years past, police are always prepared for action when the Terps face Duke. But as the bloodstained sidewalks and disturbing footage from last week should teach us, the riot police did not stop the mayhem; they perpetuated it and led students to act out in retaliation. Concrete steps must be taken to prevent the chaos that unfolded on Route 1 last week, and that cannot be done unless police consider reality.

The fact is when one of the university’s sports teams experiences a thrilling victory, students are going to celebrate. And you can bet they’ll celebrate where drinks are cheap. One of the reasons police say they moved in was because the crowd had essentially shut down Route 1. But instead of closing down Route 1 with riot-clad police beating students, the area of Route 1 that houses most of the bars frequented by students should have been preemptively shut down to automobile traffic. Rather than macing guilty and innocent students alike, police could have ensured traffic continued to flow via alternate routes until the crowd inevitably dissipated.

While there have been initiatives in the past to provide an outlet for students to let out their enthusiasm, the reality is that most students prefer to celebrate with a beer in hand. Unless the Student Government Association decides to provide keggers to students, police and the university must realize students will continue to pour onto Route 1 after an exciting victory no matter how many times officers bang their batons against their shields. It is up to them to decide if they will use violence to quell those crowds or use creative thinking. County police’s reputation may not be on the line, but the university’s is.