Gangs Linked To Police

Gang violence m Detroit is being provoked by the Detroit Police and "enemies of the Mayor," a source close to the gangs charged last week
A source who has worked closely with the gangs and police for many years charged that "several cops met in room 625 of police headquarters at 1300 Beaubien and made plans to feed guns, money and drugs to the Errol Flynns and rival gangs
"One guy was a ranking member of the gang intelligence unit and another was an officer in the Detroit Police Officers Association (DPOA)." the source claimed. "The gangleaders don't know it but they are being manipulated by provocateurs from within their gangs."
Deputy City Mayor William Beckham termed such information "ridiculous and irresponsible" and refused further comment.
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This article was compiled by Sun staffers Kathy Jackson, Genie Parker, Jan Prezzato, Henry Reske, Associate Editor Donald Freed and freelance writer Jeff Cohen.
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DPOA Secretary Treasurer James VanDevender, who is presently running for the DPOA presidency, termed the charges "farfetched," adding "this is not a gestapo state. I can't believe they (police) are supplying weapons - it doesn't make any sense."
He further said it would be preposterous for a police officer to jeopardize his career in such a way, but added that "police make foolish mistakes like anyone else."
He said an officer engaged in such activity would need a "thorough psychiatric examination."
Richard Humphries, Director of the Community Youth Services Project, however, said he had heard about the alleged conspiracy. "I have heard that stuff and there is all kinds of talk about it. but I don't know where it emanates from." he said in an interview last week.

Humphries refused to speculate on whether such stories were truth or rumor and refused further comment on it.

Humphries also said during the interview that his street workers didn't believe the recent violence at Cobo Hall was the work of the gangs.

Again, when pressed for further information on who it might have been. Humphries refused further comment.

The source, when questioned as to why the police would want to provoke gang violence, listed several possibilities:

 "They want to force the rehiring of laid-off police officers, they want to embarrass and destroy the mayor and they want to strengthen the DPOA," the source said. "Maybe they want to turn Detroit into a police state."

The source, who requested anonymity, also charged that the list of names and addresses of black Detroit Police officers in the possession of gangs- revealed by self-appointed gang spokesperson Keith Harvey at a recent press conference -were given to the gangs by undercover members of the Detroit Police gang intelligence unit. The Detroit Free Press reported that members of a police intelligence unit went to the press conference disguised as a TV crew from Toledo.

"Do you think these punks could walk into a computer room and come away with a list of policemen?," the source questioned.

Harvey told The Sun last week that he received the list of police officers from a man who Harvey says was murdered in Highland Park in late winter. Harvey contends that Abdul Mohammed, the dead man, was given the list by a Detroit police officer.

Harvey, who is known as a publicity seeker, said that his life has been threatened but feels he must release this information for the sake of the community.

Highland Park police verified that an Abdul Mohammed was found murdered in February with a gunshot wound do the head.

A recent article in the Los Angeles Times, written by Frances Ward of that newspaper's Chicago bureau, also charged that the Detroit gang violence was being precipitated by enemies of Mayor Young to embarrass the Young administration.

In a telephone interview Monday, Ward told The Sun his sources reported that Mayor Young's aides were looking for evidence that the Cobo Hall incident was planned.

Ward also said that after his own investigation he concluded that the media was blowing the gang situation out of proportion.

He said he could find only four proven incidents of gang violence.