The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1939-11-04
DETROITERS
attend NATL
LIBERTIES MEET
Hundreds From Motor
City At Confab In
New York

Senator Charles Digs described
police brutality in Detroit and
asked for national support in our
campaign to stop il at a National
Conference on Civil Liberties held
last week at the Hotel Biltmore il
New York City. Senator Digs. Rev.
Owen A. Knox. j Henry Freid,
T. C. Blair and Milton N. Kemnitz,
representing the Committee TO End
Police Brutality, the Civil Rights
Federation, and the NAACP., at
tended this important conference
where they presented the record Of
police violation Of civil rights in
Detroit 10 alomst 1000 delegates
from every part OF the country.
Attorney General Frank Murphy
was the principal speaker on the
program. No privileged individual,
organization, or government official.
Will be permitted TO menace our
civil liberties" the delegation heard
Murphy promise.
Police brutality and lawlessness
under the Piekert administration
IN Detroit was reported in three diff
fereLt conference sessions. Senator
Digs spoke at a well-attended
session on the rights Of the Negro
where he described the persistent
campaign Of persecution and terror
carried on against Detroits Negro
Population by the Pickert depart
rent Senator Digs related the
violation OF Negroes rights to the
Practice OF the police Of menacinss
organized labor and other groups.
IN the community.
These same facts were mean
while presented by Rev. Owen A.
Knox, OF the Civil Rights Fedora
tion to succession on the Law and
Civil Liberties, packed to the doors
with people from all over the
United States. In a final session
Henry Freid,- legal counsel fo-
the Committee TO End Police Bru-
tality, submitted for action by the
American Civil Liberties Union,
resolution expressing resantmen,
against such terrorisms.
The complete text Of the resolu-
tion presented st-the- conference
follows:
WHEREAS this conference has
received a detailed report dealing
with the policies and actions Of the
police department OF the city of
Detroit insofar as they relate to
Violations of civil rights in that
community, and
WHEREAS it appears TO this con-
ference that these policies ard
actions have resulted in wholesale
denial of constitutional rights to
large sections OF Detroit citizens,
and
WHEREAS the policy OF the De-
troit police department is illustrated
by the following statement made by
Police Commissioner Heinrich Pick
ert: The police department will
continue to arrest people and search
homes without warrants whenever
in the personal opinion Of the COM
missioner such action should be
taken. Until federal, state and local
laws are changed, this will continue
to be our policy" and
WHEREAS such a policy Of police
-laWieSsness reflects not only upon
the city of Detroit and its eitizeRs,
but is so contrary to the spirit of
our democratic institutions as to be
OF concern to all the people,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
-tAat-thix conference condemns the
policies and actions OF the police
department Of the city Of Detroit as
constituting a threat to the civil
rights OF the citizens Of that com
munity. and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
that the foregoing statement Of
policy OF Police Commissioner
Heinrich Pickert represents such a
fragrant disregard OF law and of
the rights OF the public by public
official as TO constitute a potential
menace TO the civil liberties Of the
people in every community.