NCJ Number
82641
Date Published
1965
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This report by a Detroit citizens' committee addresses distortions in crime rates cited during the 1965 political campaign, public attitudes toward police, the problem of street prostitution, police brutality, and police training.
Abstract
Facts about crime and law enforcement dispute the claims of extremists in the black and white communities that street crime is rising in Detroit. The total number of crimes in the city was down 8.1 percent in 1964 compared with 1963 and was lower than the national average. In the United States, the general public attitude toward the police is one of apathetic indifference or social antagonism. The Detroit community has a right to expect impartial and equal law enforcement, but it must also support the police, demand professional standards, and pay the kind of salaries that attract and retain effective police officers. Positive improvements have occurred in police-community relations in Detroit, such as the reorganization of the Citizen Complaint Board, a small increase in black recruits, and the establishment of the Youth Services Corps to give teenage boys a chance to work with police officers. A major hindrance to law enforcement relates to the overwhelmingly white clientele which supports black prostitutes and thus contributes to street crime. The committee supports current police efforts to impose stricter law enforcement in this area. Although police brutality is still an explosive issue, the police department and the State Civil Rights Commission have established definitive procedures to investigate citizen complaints which have improved the process. Actions taken to enhance police professionalism include the new tactical mobile unit especially trained in crime prevention and crowd control and an inservice training course on police-community relations. However, higher educational standards, higher entry salaries, and reformed promotional policies are necessary to upgrade professional standards over the long term.