Michigan State Police Face Quiz On Job Bias

WASHINGTON - Michigan State Pólice, with five Negroes a m o n g its 1,740 uniformed officers, will be called on shortly to prove it i s an equal opportunity employer. New Justice Department regulations prohibit job discrimination by state and local pólice agencies receiving federal anti-crime grants. Beginning this year, pólice departments getting federal funds must sign anti-discrimination pledges. Departments in cities and counties of over 50,000 population, as well as state pólice, will be asked to I submit compliance reports. I Random checks will be made I of smaller communities. I Where discrimination i s I found to exist, the Justice I Department says it will seek I court enforcement of the I regulations. As a last resort, I the department will cut off I federal funds. I Grants totaling $436 million I are being paid this year to I strengthen law enforcement at the state and local levéis. I Michigan's share is $15.5 million. Congress has authorized $1.75 billion for the 1973 fiscal year. A spokesman for the Law Enforcement Assistance 7 y ministration w h i c h administers the grant program, said the regulations will not require pólice departments to 1 o w e r recruitment standards. Inability to attract qualified candidates is the reason pólice agencies often give to explain the absence of black patrolmen. Civil r i g h t s groups, on the other hand, have accused some pólice agencies of setting standards that arbitrarily e x c 1 u d e blacks. A survey of state pólice forces by one civil rights organization showed that 20 states had none or only one Negro trooper. The list included such Northern states as Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Iowa and Massachusetts. Michigan State Pólice have adopted well-publicized campaigns in recent years to attract black recruits. The first Negro trooper joined the force in 1967. A spokesman said the department is continuing its efforts to recruit more blacks but has had problems finding qualified candidates who can get through the demanding training. Many Negroes who might 'qualify pass up pólice work for better paying occupations. The regulations may make it difficult for pólice departments of predominantly white suburbs to get federal anticrime grants. The Michigan Civil Rights Commission reports t h a t Warren, a predominantly white Detroit s u b u r b of 179,000, has no blacks among its 190 uniformed officers. Dearborn, an almost allwhite suburb of 104,000, has a 150-man forcé with no Negro patrolmen. Both suburbs require residence within their communities as a condition of pólice employment- which automatically would exclude black recruits. Warren residents voted last year to reject federal urban renewal funds because of pressure by the Department of Housing and Urban Developrhent to encourage open housing in Warren. The regulations bar job bias because of race, color, creed or national origin. Discrimination in all phases of personnel poücy is prohibited. The regulations specifically advise pólice departments that they are not required to adopt a quota system or percentage ratio to achieve racial balance.