Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-12
Police lntegrotion
Advances in Atlanta
By REESE CLEGHORN
Contributing Writer

Gillian A. i lie AIlHLlLa EOllCe
Department, one Of the first in
q Deep South city to use Negro
Officers, has removed the restric-
tons which had prevented them
from arresting whites and patrol
ing non-Negro areas.
~ In lifting the bars after is
years, Chief Herbert Jenkins set
the stage for full integrated use
of Negro patrolmen. Some are ex-
pected to be assigned white
partners for patrol duty In the
future.
The chief set off a furry of
excited objections when he first
proposed unlimited use Of Negro
officers. The nature Of the
criticism points up a conclusion
drawn in a recent regional survey:
Since the 1854 United States
Supreme Court decision outlawing
public school segregation, emo
tional barriers have almost halted
a previously rapid integration of
Southern police forces.
The picture of an armed,
uniformed Negro in authority over
white persons is symbolic to white
Southerners Of traditional segre-
gationist views, and the emotional
response has obscured some basic
facts of police work.
The recently published regional
survey showed that of 103 South
ern cities replying, only six al
lowed Negro policemen both to
patrol non-Negro areas and to
arrest white persons. Only two Of
these-New Orleans and Charles
ton-are in the Deep South.
Rapid Indignation
In joining these two cities, At
lanta Is expected to exceed both
m rapid migration Of its Negro
officers and q more extensive use
Of them.
The same survey showed that
since 1854 there has been no con-
tinuation Of the dramatic in
creases in Negro officers that had
been noted after l945.
Further, the overwhelming
majority Of Southern cities still
require Negro officers to summon
white colleagues If q white Is to
be arrested.
ST don't think any white man
would like his wife or son ar
rested by Negroes" an Atlanta
lawyer told the city's aldermanic
police committee as it considered
the question Of Negroes arresting
whites.
His remark UNDERSIGNED the
fundamentally irrational objection
to the change Atlanta now has
made. None Of the citizens ap-
pearing before the aldermanic
committee directly challenged the
abilities of the city's present or
future Negro officers.
- The same sort Of objections
were made when Atlanta began
using Negro officers in 1947. The
city accordingly adopted the policy
forbidding their arrest Of whites,
calling for their use only in Negro
areas and denying them civil serv-
ice status until they had proved
themselves.
They have always had o legal
right to arrest whites, since all
officers swear simply to apprehend
offenders. Chief Jenkins let it be
known quietly long ago that he
would back UP any Negro who
had to arrest q white person If
the arrest seemed to be good
police work, but this has only now
become publicly stated. standard
policy.
Accepted by Colleagues
The Atlanta departments white
officers have accepted their Negro
colleagues far more amicably than
some leaders had expected.
THE basis for that is profess
sional respect" one officer said.
The whites have high regard for
the work done by the Negroes in
the department"
The 40 Negroes, including six
detectives, were chosen very
selectively. Some are college grad
yates.
The performance Of one officer
has been especially impressive. He
is 1t. Howard Baugh, the first
Negro to become q superior Of
ficer in the Atlanta department.
He won his promotion from
sergeant on the same day that
Chief jenkins removed restrictions
on the Negro officers.
When 1t. Baugh was a homicide
detective, one Judge noted for his
strong segregationist views re-
marked that this tall Negro
pioneer on the force repeatedly
was one of the courts most eff
fective and thorough Witnesses
usually before all-white juries.
If professional respect is the
main factor that has won the
Negroes acceptance among their
fellow officers, traditional views
on social matters are the main
obstacle to their full Indignation
within the force.
Now that they have full arrest
powers and are not limited to
Negro areas, it probably will not
be long before they are patroling
regularly in white sections.
Sources in the department say
that will mean teaming up with
white officers. That. in turn, might
mean sharing the same coffee
breaks and dinners, as well as
patrol cars and dangers.
Most Of the white officers
don't want that" an officer said.
But it is a fact that the police
departments snack bar was the
first integrated one in Atlanta.
In the detective bureau, tn e