more than criminals. Sunday. April l4, I968 :STensionsSeen By Report Are Found Here By LANE SMITH Assistant City Editor, The Tirnes In nearly every city that has eXperienced racial dis- ruption since the summer of 1964, abrasive relationships between police and Negroes and other minority groups have been a major source of grievance, tension and, ultimately, disorder. This was a key finding of the National Advisory Com- mission on Civil Disorders in its recent report to Presi- dent Johnson and the nation. I f'lnrl THE REPORT CLEARLY puts the policeman on the Spot. It says that many Negroes see police as symbols of white power, white racism and white repression. ?And,? the report asserts, ?the fact is that many police do re- flect and express these .white attitudes.? But the report says it is wrong to make the police the sole scapegoat for the hostility that exists. Police Image Still Poor, 5 Say Negroes By MARTY LOKEN Efforts by the Seattle Police Department to upgrade its image in the central area have failed, black residents told The Times. . Most residents have not heard of the Police Depart- . ment?s gall community-relations unit. The image of police cannot . many blacks said. . changed untilvthe entire white socigty changes, ?What can five white men (the communitymelations workers) do to change the monstrous machine they have 1 created?? one youth asked. POLICEMEN ARE FEARED, distrusted, often hated in I. the central area. In the eyes of residents, too many blacks "1 have suffered harassment, humiliation, injustice and, in some cases, physical brutality. - Central-area businessmen said there are not enough po? lice, and that many officers ,do not administer equal justice . under the law. - Businessmen need the police for protection badly, in sgme cases. They sympathize with the crying urgency of T-?younger blacks who will not ?turn their backs to the situation,? but they tell youth to ?wait, wait something good will happen . . . . One central?area grocer, the father of a teen-age son, I said his ?fhandsare tied.? ?These teen-aged thugs come around and curse my wife, I block the doorway to regular customers and loot the place,? he said, "but I can?t call the cops, man. ?You know what those kids would do if I had white cops around here? They?d burn the place down.? MANY RESIDENTS questioned said police scared them lot of peOple won?t even report bad things that hap- pen,? Fitzgerald Beaver, publisher of The acts, a Negro . newspaper, said. ?Things that have happened in the past are hard to erase,? he said. ?I?ve been stopped for no reason and called names, and one time there was a case where I got 16 traffic Unit Covers All --From Kids to Crises By LARRY LITTLE ?What is the most opening channels of commu- nications. and the?Cenia' Area 1 . The policeman on the beat walks in a dilemma. He is . a symbol not only of law but of the entire system of law enforcement and criminal justice. One. side, disturbed and perplexed by sharp rises in crime and?violence, pressures for tOughe?r'law enforce- ment. Another group, inflamed against police as agents of repression, tends toward defiance of what it regards as order maintained at, the expense of justice. Times reporters, measuring the mood of the central area, particularly its young, found the grievances and tensions cited by the national report- They also listened to police leaders who told of efforts to improve relations with minorities and develop more sensitive attitudes among officers. Based on his experience as a Seattle Municipal Court judge whose courtroom witnesses day-today police open ations, Superior Judge Charles Z. Smith was asked to comment on the findings of Times reporters. - Judge Smith, a Negro respected by police and private citizens, noted the increased sensitivity to human relations . in police operations and training, but he warned that Seattle?all its residents?must listen ?to the voices of the oppressed? and those who feel they are oppressed, if the city is to avoid problems not besetting other cities. HERE ARE COMMENTS by Judge Smith: ?In the city of Seattle, we like?to believe that we have a fine Police Department. We like to believe our Police Department has the potential for being the great? est police department in the country. ?We can still say this if we recognize that a great deal of work must be done to reach that goal. Efforts by the Police Department to establish the community-rela- tickets in one month from one officer. This was a case of intimidation on his part, so I went down to the station and reported it. never saw him again.? Beaver said he has noticed an improvement in police treatment of blacks in the central area. PEOPLE SAY the police are worse now, but there?s a difference. They?re better now because they have to be better?they have no choice.? A housewife said she warned her son to ?stay away from the cops? whenever he went out with friends at night. ?They?ll beat you up, Boy, and they?ll say you did all kinds of things just because you?re black,? she said. Black students display more outright hate for white police than do their parents primarily because ?the cops don?t want 'to understand us; they just want to sup- press A group of students met last week to discuss their rela- tionship with the police and means by which the relation- ship could be improved. Their views, said many elders, are not ?representa- tive? of the black community. But the same adults added that the police will not gain more than a ?paper? rapport in the central area until they begin to reason with youth on an equal basis. KIDS MAY NOT say the same things we do," said one parent, ?but what they say is just as important. Man, if the ceps can?t communicate with the ones who complain the loudest, they may as well give up.? Here is what the students said: First girl ?Girls are picked up for prostitutiou when they?re walking home from Garfield. That?s it, you know -?real harassment. Students waiting for a ride can get asked by a policeman where they are going, where they live and all kinds of things . . . The police are there in case something happens, but why try to create something? Their presence has instigated troubles and I don?t see how they can ask for respect when we don?t get respect from them.? First boy remember I was stopped and I was wearing a hat. and they had us put all this stuff on the c0p cars. They said everybody was clean except me, because I was wearing that hat. ?Black people and white people do dress differently, you know. I think that white people look at a black person and think he must be doing something because he?s wearing some kind of hat. Man, we?re stereotyped.? Second boy ?The police don?t try to communicate or understand our problems. It?s always repression and suppression. Man, they understand you (pointing to a white] student nearby), but when they stop me it?s because I?m SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE CHARLES Z. SMITH tions unit and efforts to provide increased training in human relations in the police academy are commendable, but, unfortunately, they are not the complete answer to the problem of our community. ?We are beginning now to fully recognize that in any community we must listen to the voices of all the people we purport to represent. ?In the city of Seattle we must listen not only to the voices of the oppressed people those people who either are oppressed or feel that they are oppressed by reason black. They represent the middle-class, dominant Society in this country but they oppress me.? Second girl ?They always talk about the that we have about the police, but the police have the same about us.? Third boy ?Cops are basically stupid people. If you?ve got a black man and a white man on the same street, see, the cop is going to stop the black man first and leave the white man alone. The cop is really a stupid person. He?s there for just one reason ?cause the badge gives him power. This is a power thing with him.? Second boy ?Cops don?t want to fight the problem, they want to fight the people. They have new guns, new gas Marty Loken, Times reporter, has been on assign- ment to assess the relations of central-area residents with police because of criticism of police by spokesmen at recent community meetings. He found sharp, bitter tee/- ings, particularly from the "say-it-like-it?is" generation of young militants. In View of the'high feelings, SuperiOr Court Judge Charles Z. Smith?asked by The'Times for his opinion?said the city has a responsibility to find out whether there is a basis for the views expressed. and new bullets. They don?t want to confront the problem; they?re just worried about suppression and oppressiOn.? Fourth boy ?Chief Ramon came down to a meeting at CAMP, youknowguys there who weren?t members of CAMP they were just off the street. And 56 Chief Ramon was being asked all kinds of ques- tions and he. didn?t know. how to react because he hadn?t had much contact with black peOple. Very little, in fact. He didn?t know how to answer the questions, and he didn?t know much about anything at all. And, see, his police policies are centered around that ignorance." Second boy ?The policeman doesn?t want to recog? nize that I?m a man: that I?m a human being and not some kind of pig. I do have a culture, and my culture is just as valid as his culture. And the cop just doesn?t want to recog? nize this because he?s ignorant and stupid.? Third boy ?They say that we are becoming two separate societies, but ?becoming? is the wrong wor d. We ARE two societies. They?re oppressing my society, and this cannot be allowed. A man can take so much oppression, and then it has to stop. He has to draw a line and say to the White man, ?If you cross that line one of us is going to Second boy ?If the police keep this up, either I?m important part of your uni- form?? . The question came from a second-grade girl in Beacon Hill Elementary School. fficer James Vaughan,_ Jr., the newest member of the police community-rela- tions unit, replied: ?My badge.? VAUGHAN then explained that the badge represents the authority of society. ?For the most part, Vaughan?s trip was a typical .?fjpublic?relations visit in a school, but Beacon Hill is at the edge of the central dis? .t?ct and is composed of about 40 per cent Oriental grid 10 per cent Negro chil~ dten. One of Vaughan?s pur- poses was to let the children see the policeman as a friend. . The visit is?an' important part of a new police beat that covers everything "from kids to crises. The unit was created in September, 1965, in response to the increasing tension be- tween the public and police, primarily due to racial con- flicts. The unit is headed by Lt. Adam< Bonner. There are four officers under?him: Sgt. Elmer. Knechtel, Police wom- an Noreen Hartsfield and Of- ficers Bill MacPherson and Vaughan. The unit is directly under Folice. Chief Frank Ramon. gsThe officers concede it has been frustrating work trying 1?0 cool the heat between po? li?e and minority groups and But the unit believes it has made some progress in its contacts with young Negroes, including the strongly mili- tant groups. The unit works hard at building an image of the po- liceman as friend. Visits to classrooms or chats at re- cess are an. example. The unit also works on the" adult level, attending meet? ings of civic and community organizations and handling citizen complaints. Each member draws at least two, evening meetings a week. THE UNIT also sponsors a parole-assistance program and an explorer Scout troop. It consults with a teen advi- sory committee and sits down to often-blunt, face-to? face talks about the police ?with youths in such places as the Neighborhood House Service Centers, which Oper- -ate in Seattle?s low?income housing projects. Community?relations units now are common in police and an explorer Scout troop. nation. Despite the fact that the Seattle unit?s activities have been publicized, Facts, at central?area newspaper, reported that a large per? centage of Negroes are still unaware of the unit?s func- tion. To overcome the commu- nications gap, Benner said the unit hopes to establish a community-service cen- ter, a sort of branch police station. A ?floating? center Operat? ed in various places in 4 34-- Police Officer James Vaughan showed I pistol target to second-graders in? the Beacon Hill Ele- mentary School as part of the police community?relations unit's classroom-visitation program. From left, Elaine Zapata, Gregory Mitchell, Pamela Pra photo by Bruce McKim. the central area between April and July last year. The idea was .to give peo- ple an opportunity to air problems and complaints in? their own neighborhoods. It is felt that many people in the .central area are hesitant to go to the downtown police headquarters. ?We learned last year that we almost have .to have a permanent location,? Bonner 'said. ?We actually did have quite a few people drop by . . . but there Were very few complaints,? he said. Benner said the experience showed that many people do not understand the American legal system. They tend to blame the police for every? thing?f rom their lights being off to landlord-tenant disputes. Among the sensitive issues are complaints of police bru- tality. Benner said the unit makes a detailed investiga- tion of each complaint. Each report is forwarded to Ramon, such complaints. Officer Hart?eld said the unit also follows up on griev- ances that come by word of mouth, often visiting homes. Some say the wait is a ?pacifier? that can be trot- ted out in times of trouble. feels that some attitudes are changing on this view. ?Initially, some of the peo- ple were skeptical about our intentions and what our suc? cess would be, but there has been some improvement,? he said. base that on the number of people who call our office-? But trying. to reach the volatile youth is a hard prob- lem, Mrs. Hartsfield conced- ed, addings: ?It?s awfully dif?cult to measure our progress. But who reviews all it?s progress if one perSOn who had some false ideas about the police gets straightened, out. We know thattbis has?happened in in? dividual cases, and this is progress.? MRS. HARTSFIELD said the unit?s work with its teen advisory committee and the detachedoworker program of the Central Area Motivation has moved it Program closer to the youth problem. ?So far it, has been very interesting because they, (the teen-agers) are very outspo- ken,? she said. ?They tell us what they feel about police. And we are finally getting to the point where we can get actual from them?what we can do to improve relations between police and juveniles.? Part of the criticism the of?cers hear is a standard juvenile complaint: ?Why recommendations . hours are spent y, Vaughan, Kenneth Louie and Rita Chinn. Times staff are police always there?? drive-ins, ball games and other teen activities. It?s all adult authority, signi?ed by an uniform and a marked car.? . The toughest confronta- tions come With young peo- ple who have been ?police cases.? ?They really swing from the ?oor,? Sergeant Knech- tel said. A NEW PROGRAM initiat- ed by the unit sends two young police cadets into high schools throughout the city. The cadets - sit in some Classes as observers. They also participate in classes devoted to police problems and law enforcement. A large number of man.- running down rumors, which many times are widespread before the police become aware of. them. The President?s Advisory of the activitiesof the established system of government. . ?In the central area of Seattle,.heavy as it is with persons of the?Negro or black group, we have a.vocal group of persons who are beginning now to express themselves in honesty and who are beginning now to react to their? frustrations in thespoken word. ?They have beliefs whether based upon experience or based upon rumor . . . and unless we listen to the state ments they make based 'on these beliefs and do something about them we are going to have problems. - ?The comments made by the young people (see Marty. Loken?s article on this page) are comments which appearto be honestly made. I have talked to young people who have made similar comments to me. WOULD LIKE TO believe that the people in Seattle who are in positions of authority or who are public officials representing the interests of all the people are not inlfact guilty of what the young people say they are. . ?And I am not so naive as to believe that this group of young persons, not communicating with each other, would come up with the same answers to the same kinds of questions. But it raises the possibility that there must be some basis for their feelings and it is our. responsibil- ity to find out whether or not the basis exists in fact. ?And we must do semething about it if we are going to avoid the problems that other cities have had for the past few years. We must operate under the assumption that every human being is important and nobody-is more important than anybody else by reason of the uniform he wears or the color of his skin. We can no longer pretend that there is any superior group of persons in our so- ciety." going to be dead or that police place is gOing" to be dead. See, something?s going to, have to go because it?s just getting to be too much.? Third boy ?The main function of the cops is to up- hold law and order, right? But how can there be law and order when there is no justice? The terminoiogy should be law and justice. There is no justice for the black man. There is a double standard.? Second boy ?The policeman?s job is so important, man, but all he needs is a high-school education. He should have to go through more than a doctor does. His job is so delicate and so technical, but he doesn?t know anything about people. People, Man, peOple.? First bay ?Black c0ps? How could they expect any of us to become cops after all the experiences we?ve had? That would be like joining the other side.? Second boy ?In the ghetto the black policeman is hated just as much or more than the white policeman be- cause he has gone into the other system.? First girl??It?s not a matter of having a black man on the police force. It?s a matter of who he represents.? First boy-?They need to raise the- standards, not just get black cops.? Fourth boy?"Parents? If justice is done, it?s got to be done by the youth. Man, I know parents who want to know what we?re complaining about because we have jobs and everything. They know what; we want, but they think we?re going after it wrong.? First girl??I?m sick of knocking my head up against a wall. With youth, if the thing don?t move, we?ll move it.? Second girl??When something happens to a black per- son?like he?s hurt or beat up or something?it?s almost impossible to get the cops up here.? Third boy??You know how to get a cop to come up to the central area when something?s wrong? Man, you call the cop up on the phone and you tell him a poor little white boy?s been hit by an ugly black man driving a big, 1968 Eldorado. Snap. They?ll be there.? First girl-?Yeah?they won?t come if the white man is at fault.? Third boy??The whole question-the whole thing we?re talking about?45 whether there will ever be a sincere equali? ty; an equality that does not have to be enforced by a law. An equality that is portrayed through the individual spirit of each man. It?s either that, man, or there won?t be anybody around here to apply oppression, or to be oppressed.? Commission on Civil Disor- ders found that 72 per cent of police officers interviewed in three major cities are prejudiced against Negrbes. To counter this, the commu- nity-relations unit arranges for professors from the Uni- versity of Washington and Seattle University to lecture police-academy classes on such subjects as the nature of prejudice and Negro his- tory. Representatives of minori? ty groups also discuss prob? lems with classes. A LITTLE-KNOWN role of the unit involves counseling recently released parolees. Banner explained that a pa- rolee is offered help if he is rersed employment because of his record. In such cases the potential employer is given an explanation of the record. Sometimes a rela- tively minor offense will un- necessarily keep a man from work. Mrs. Hartsfield disagrees with a complaint that is fre- quently voiced about the lack of police protection in the central area. In a three?month period last year the' department responded to 3,000 more calls in the central area than in a district of similar size in another part of the city, she said. The unit is also attempting to recruit qualified Negroes for the department. There arenoNegroesinthelmit. The unit acknowledges that it is considered by some in the central area as ?the enemy camp.? Its of?cers also say that many people responsible citizens could help . span that chasm be- tween the hostile elements and the police, but because of fear of being labeled ?Uncle Toms? they remain silent. . So the community-rela? tions unit pounds its beat, not in search of criminals but in search of a dialog. MRS. NOREEN LT. ADAM BENNER 'For'other ar?ckm. see Page 37