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Top Police Ask Public For Support

Top Police Ask Public For Support image Top Police Ask Public For Support image
Parent Issue
Day
29
Month
April
Year
1970
Copyright
Copyright Protected
Rights Held By
Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

5 SfRSt sa at the "Buck UP Your Sheriff' meetag held ml PiOwearynHeigïounïyOlSheriff William Lucas, schedutedtojoin Sheriff Harvey and Chief Krasny on the speakers' platform, was unable to attend be-l cause'of continued street fightiñg m River Rouge Attendance was estimated at 350 to 400. inerei was no estímate of funds raised. . The ejection of the hecklers carne eariy in the program. As Larry Clark, chairman of the meet-l ing was introducing Harvey, more than a score at youñjmen trooped down aisles and took seats at the front of the auditorium One member of the group carried an American flag on a staff and another held a "White Panther" flag. Harvey took notice of their arnval by commenting that each time he spoke publicly some of my friends always show up." He then told the youths that they were "welcome'to remam ïi I you've come here to sit and listen." I "But if you créate a disorder you're going to I be asked to leave," Harvey told them. As the sheriff began his talk, one of the group I shouted out. Harvey stopped, pointed to the group I and said, "That's it. Officers, show them out. A half-dozen detectives and uniformed oñicers I moved into the aisles where the youths were seated and hustled them out of the auditorium. They left shouting "Communists!" and waving fists in the air. The crowd applauded. In his talk Harvey struck out at "radical campus groups which do not represent the beliefs of ] most uriiversity students." ' He compared recent demonstrations at i ern Michigan University at Ypsilanti where he I said there was "not one incident, no violence, no I destruction of property" and incidents at the I versity of Michigan which he characterized as involving "thousands of dollars in damage, violence and injury." "And along with this violence thousands of I Michigan students who hadevery right to attend I their classes were prevented from doing so," the I sheriff said. "I was asked by groups of Michigan I students who were barred by threats of violence ' I from attending classes what my department or I Chief Krasny's could do to help them. They talk I about pólice brutality. What about student brutaliI ty?" He touched briefly on the "haircut suit" against I him, explaining that the original decisión by the I county Board of Commissioners was that the 1 cutor's office not defend him in the personal liability I section of the suit. Harvey "named ñames" of com-l missioners who voted against his programs regu-l larly. ! Chief Krasny said in Ann Arbor violent 1 I strations have cost his department $25,000 in 1 I age to pólice equipment and injury to officers. Hel I said $345,000 was spent last year on pólice overtimel I pay, much of it used to put down violent demon-l I stratiocs. I right o object," Krasny said. "But when that dis- sent tarings property damage and personal injury we're not'gotog to stand by and let it happen Sorrve people seem to think we enjoy this type of thing ■ Well I don't. When you see 200 officers file past ; youB on their way to a disorder and you wonder if 200 ■ I are going tocóme back in one piece - or at all -m lt& Kraïïy SLrged that radical groups have statedl their purpose is to destroy society as we know M tOda"Society has backed up one step at a time ■ instead of saying "No", drawing a line and telling ■ I these groups, 'This is as far as you go, Krasny ■ I SaldThe chief charged that the U. S.Supreme Courtl I has placed "some ungodly restramts" on pólice ■ I officers Coupled with that action is the conduct of I I judges who "find it very difficult to deprive a 1 I son of his liberty," Krasny said. , „ I I "Everyone's a Supreme Court justice today, I I he said. ''They look at a law book, say tte_ high I court will reverse me on this and dismiss it. i I He said pólice unity and citizen support is the I I onlv answer to street disorder and law-breaking I 0my4n0StWhe0rse who think otherwise let me say simply A that we aren't gcing togive this town away this l nmmir." the chief concluded. . , . The program opened with a demons tratton 01 of effort by use of the "sticks." The weapon may be iítroducedyto local pólice agencies if present plans materialize. II M1IIIIIIIM1MIIIIMII llthrougb normal pólice channels. "The committee could listen ■ as long as it didn't have the ■ I power to take action against ap ■ llofíicer, or even to cali him ín, ' ■ iLarcom said. "This hasn't been ■ Iworked out." ■ i "I would recommend this type ■ lof committee to study 1; I community relations, similar to ■ I the committee operating dunng 1 I the sumnier," Krasny said. 1 I City officials and leaders of W ■ the Negro community held a l ■ ries of meetings this summer i lin an attempt to improve 11 ■ community relations. ■ "Tiere were some rather in;ricant accomplishments," i Lom said, n o t i n g that many j ■-nembers of the group were on 1 ■he scene of potential trouble I ■pots to ease tensions before I ■cidents could develop. I I' Larcom said the 1 Btive review board, establishedl ■last year, will be disbanded. ■ The main reason, he said, was ■ because it was too time consum- ■ ing for the three city officials Larcom, City Attor■jney Jacob F. Fahrner Jr. and I ■Human Relations Director 1 Hvid C. Cowley. W This administrative review ■committee heard a b o u t eight ■ complaints, Larcom noted, and although it never recommended I ■ punitive action against a pólice I Biofficer, some of the pólice proI cedures were changed because I of the complaints. When Larcom imtially adI vaneed the concept of the citiI zen advisory committee, he had I said it would be responsible to fl the city administrator. Last B night, however, he recommendSled that the committee be apapointed by the pólice chief and I be responsible to Krasny. B The committee could have a ËMnumber of functions, Larcom ■ said, including improving public I relations between policemen anc B the citizens, setting up improved I standards for the Wring of poI lice personnel, recruiting pólice I officers, finding the causes of JBi'TuiTibles" and preventingjhem