Box 22, Folder 18, Document 4

Box 22, Folder 18, Document 4

Hearings before the Subcommittee on Executive Reorganization
of the Senate Government Operations Committee

Afternoon session: November 30, 1966

Witness: Judge George Edwards, U. S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit,
Former Police Commissioner of the City of Detroit, 1962 and 1963.

Judge Edwards outlined for the Subcommittee
in the large cities of the U., S. with examples drawn largely from his own
experiences in the city of Detroit. The Judge emphasized ke problems of
the Negro community and the fact that the attitudes of Negroes towards law
enforcement are the product of their early environment mainly in the South.
Judge Edwards said that most crime is committed by Negroes and inflicted

on others of their own race. He said, however, that the large magority

Negroes are in favor of law enforcement end want to see it imoroved.
eee

tee the problems of lew enforcement
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The Judge made the following suggestions:

Promote Negroes on an equal basis with whites.

Ban police dogs in racial demonstrations,

Integrate police teams.

- Raise the pay of policemen.

ll. Hire more policemen.

12. Coordinate lew enforcement agencies,

13. Establish @ National Police Training Collese,.

14, Esteblish high level boards within police departments to investigate
charges against policemen.

15. Federal grants-in-aid should be made for ee training.

.

1. Find out more facts in regard to complaints about police brutality.

2. ransfer troublemakers on a police force and those who use brutal

3. End investigative arrests.

h, Increase police in high crime precincts.

5. Federal goverment must help Localities combat organized crime

6. Professionalize policemen by upgrading their standards SnybuRh better
training.

7

8

9

10

16. End the autonemous nature of lew enforcement bodies.
Witness: Robert Coles, M.D., Research Psychiatrist, Harvard University
Heslth Services.

Dr. Coles is a child psychiatris

studied the effect of racial tensior

young Negro children who first attended white schools in th

had to endure many torments and antesonism snowed a grea

character. He said that it was &@ puzzlement to him that
here

ay

strength of character than an environment of luxury or =
quility. However, the Doctor pointed out that after th
underprivileged children begin to realize that abeatence

teachings of their childhood will not pay off, After thi

who worked extensively
on on Negro children,

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slum youth tr They
then quite ive of crime or
delinquenc;. che Doctor pointed» out that some delinquents do wrong beceuss
they can fis... nothing right, nothing significant and challenging to d
Main questions raised by the Subcommittee:

1. Recketeering in slum housing.
Senator Kennedy asked Judge Edwérds whether organized crime pléys a part
in the creation and continuation of slum housing conditicns. The Juage
said that it probably does and Senator Kennedy told the Chairman that
he thinks the Subcommittee should explore this possibility.

2. Defense by cities against rioting.



Senator Ribicoff asked the Judge what e city can do to defend itself

against rioting and



at what point the National Guard should be called









in. The Judge said that all of his suggestions would help prevent
riots, but once the riot had besun it could be counteracted only by
quick orgenization and great mobility of substantial forces on the Sage |
of the law. He said that the force used must be overwhelming and discivlined.
He believes that the National Guard should be called to a riot scene
wnen police gunfire is needed.
3. Culture of toverty.
enator Kennedy asked Dr. Coles whether there is a culture of ¥
in the U. &, The Doctor replied that he does not think that we really
have a culture of poverty because peopls are ro longer isolated due to
the existence and extensiveness of a mass media of communications.
Through TV and other media practically everyone in this country
of the opportunities which exist or at least that there is 4 petite
to live although the attainment of that -life is not possible.
h, Bussing of school children.
Although Dr, Coles thinks that the Bosten experiment in bussing children
to the suburbs has been quite successtf cor Ribi Pas c
in his view the money. might better be roreyvi &
generally. Senator Ribicor? hat +
of very poor children in school t
wes psychologicelly good for
5. Rehabilitation of slum dvellars-



@ whether

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The Doctor
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.cthing slum children.



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There we. .. general discussion of whether the vast amount of money being |
spent on .cation today is paying off. Senator Kennedy was very interested
in findin., setter ways to help slum children.

Senators present:

Ribicoff
Kennedy