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\THIS WEEK AND NEXTby Aaron EinfrankPolice And BrutalityIt is remarkable that while [the crime rate is soaring in the United States, there are so jmany charges of police brutali-■y.Under normal circumstances, Ithere would be more concern with strengthening our police forces. But there is widespread feeling among many today that [victims of crime are forgotten while the perpetrators of crime are defended.There has heen a lot of dishonesty on this subject, so it’s about time soinone took time out to clear the air wtth some facts. First, most charges of police brutality originate from Negro and civil rights organizations.Second, there can be no doubt that there are incidents of police brutality involving Negroes. But jthe fact of the matter is that more than half of the violentcrime in the U.S. is committed by Negroes who represent only about 11 per cent, of the population.It is easy to understand — but not condone — a white policeman who has witnessed so much Negro crime that he begins to regard every Negro as a criminal. Yet the fact of the matter is that police actions which set off riots in Northern cities actually involved incidents where the police tried to legitimately apprehend Negro offenders.Last year’s Harlem riot was touched off because a policeman shot to death a knife-wielding Negro teenager. In Los Angeles the riots started when a policeman tried to arrest a Negro for drunken driving.By charging police brutality, Negro leaders cover up the Negro crime problem by making the policeman the scapegoat. Instead of turning their attention to ways of controlling the Negro crime problem, these Negro leaders — most of whom do not even live in the Negro ghettoes - find it more convenient to pass the buck to the police.The tragedy of the dishonesty concerning police brutality is that the Negro — as always —is the real sufferer. The reasons for this are twofold:1. Because police brutality charges are liable to set off riots wherever Negroes live, it is very difficult for whites to live in these neighborhoods. Once the riots start, the whites are the first victims. In Northern cities it is common for policemen to warn white residents in integrated neighborhoods to move out because their safety cannot be guaranteed. Thus meaningful integration is pre vented because the police can not maintain public order.2. Negro neighborhoods are in creasingly becoming crime jungles because police — even Ne gro police — are afraid to arrest malefactors for fear of starting riots.It Is noteworthy that more than half of the murder victims in the U.S. are Negroes, most of whom have been killed by fellow Negroes.The only people who can meet the threat of Negro crime are Negroes themselves. But Sena tor Robert Kennedy, in a ma ment of candor pinpointed the problem recently when he said: “During and after every riot, such as the one in Harlem lastyear or the one in Los Angeles(this year) . . . city officialspleaded for Negro leaders whocan negotiate an end to the vi olence and establish a channel of communication to the rioters. But they are not to be found.“too many Negroes who succeed in climbing the ladder of education and well-being fail to extend a helping hand to their fellows on the rungs below. I think we white people must demand a lot of ourselves in the years ahead. We should demand as much from the many Negroes who already share the advantages of our affluent society.”Most Negro crimes result from the oppressive conditions under which these colored Americans have lived for generations. Just charging the police with brutality — although brutality can never be condoned — is no solution to the problem.
Newspaper Details
Shepherd Argus
Shepherd, Michigan, US
Wed, Oct 27, 1965
Page 8
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USA 31 Aug 2022
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