The Detroit tribune., 1963-05-04
By WALTER HOYE

Tho South Penp law abiding citizens we feel that the po
lice should enforce the law regardless OF creed or
color In South in many cases they aid ana apei per
sons who Otherwise they would arrest
Ag far back as 1891 President IIoovers National
Commission on Law Observance and Enforcement the
Wckcrsham Commission reported that police and related
brutality is widespread throughout the country con-
stant stream Of evidence indicates that although some
progress has been made awlcssness in law enforcement
is Still serious problem The victims usually are those
whose economic and social status give tte OF no Pioce
ton or power to rctalIac
Into this category fans large percentage OF the Ne
gro population in United States Some Northern Ne
procs think that this kind Of treatment happens only in
the South They are far from the truth as il is mpossl
bic to pet without being out Of this world
one section of our newly adopted State Constitution
actually increases the Negroes problem in this area Where
as the l4h Amendment 10 the Federal Constitution pro-
hiblis the states Including their political SubdvHIonSl
and their agents from abrldgIng the privileges or I'M
muncs Of the citizens Of the United States, ms sec
ton allows infringement Of these rights Further the IAN
Amendment provides for the equal protection OF inc
laws
Also ignored by this section is the Civil Rights Act
Of 1876 now Section DAP United States Criminal Code
Title 49, which provides that Whoever, under color OF
law statute ordinance regulation or custom wllluiiy
subjects causes he subjected any lnhaDi'ant OF any
state territory district to the deprivation OF any rights
privileges or mnuncS secured or protected by the Con-
imprisoned or both
Some people will try and tel you that this new section
will only affect the guilty. Well don't you believe It, Tor
some people if you arc Negro you arc automatically
guilty
For example take case reported in the book dis
elimination by Wallace Mcndeson based on the report
of the United States Commission Civil Rights They
lated story reported by white reporter on the Detroit
Free Press in 1859
Gentlemen cops don't solve crimes For reasons
not entirely clear fight broke out IN Detroit between
eight Negro boys and some policemen Four of the latter
were injured When of the boys Thaddcus Steel was
brought 10 the police station he brought into the po-
lice garage in car closely followed by three other
cars filled with police
He sat in the back seat of the Ills face showed
pain There was a patromon sitting next to him.
AS the car halted the patrolman left the car and
yankcd steel frrom by the neck Another patroman
raced up
us this him. he shouted
Then he threw fist into Stcel'S face
second patrolman pushed the assaiIant aside and
sank his fist into Stccrs stomach
Steel fell to the garage floor moaning
The ncwsmcn stood outside the open door oil the
garage
One of the policemen saw them and shouted
Lower that door,
But all were too busy sluggng Steel prone or
The floor
They dragged him to the side and the onlookers
Lower that door" shouted one again
Two detectives had entered the other side OF th'
garage and strobe grimy across to the newsmen Thei
expression sofcned as they reached them
Gentlemen cops don't solve crimes, one of the dc
tecves said
The paroman picked up Steel and rushed him into th'
station
The detectives turned and walked away
Now here is the punch line The county investigated
but did prosecute because could not identify tn
supposed assaans.
With the advent of Police Commissioner George Ed
wards things improved greatly But that new section o
fers the kind that beat up Steel license to do SO
How can we trust the judgment OF these police officer
when great majority of them have out and out refused
TO ride in inegrated scout This could only indicate
that they have something TO hide Like the one who KEEP
shouting close the garage door the brutal beating
Steel.
A rare case you say we'll recently Negro was sho