The Treatment of the Police by the Negro Press David Epstein

The definition of the policeman as an enemy of the Negro by a large segment of the Negro community has been demonstrated rather convincingly during the course of Negro rioting over the past several years. One can hardly read the McCone and other reports on Watts, or the recent accounts of Newark, Detroit and many of the seventy other cities which have been convulsed in the summer of 1967 without realiz- ing that the police do, in fact, symbolize a repressive element to the lower class Negro community. Attitude studies in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere indicate that many Negroes believe €hat the police “pick on them” more, that the police are all too frequently rude to Negroes, that excessive force is often used and that law enforcement in Negro areas is very poor.

The causes of this Negro hostility are many-faceted and the police across the country are not unaware of their role in creating conflict. Police sources, on the other hand, blame inflammatory mass media coverage of law enforcement for much of the present police-Negro conflict. This is not surprising as the mass media both shape and re- flect public opinion.

Interviews of police personnel at all levels indicated that the police are particularly incensed by the coverage given them in the Nego press. One of the milder evaluations of a Negro newspaper was that it was “anti-police, one-sided and catering to sensationalism at the expense of facts.”

In view of the role attributed’ to the Negro press in generating (and expressing) Negro hostility to the police, a study of a local Negro weekly was undertaken to determine the legitimacy of police complaints about the nature and content of the treatment accorded them.

The particular weekly studied might be described as a moderately conservative newspaper which enjoys state-wide circulation. Its’ home base is not in the community studied, but an ‘edition, circulated there claims between 9,OOO-10,000 subscribers (out of an estimated Negro population of 85,000). The owner/publisher of this paper is a member of the Governor‘s Cabinet and distinguished in Negro journalistic and civil rights leadership circles.

In order to determine t h i s media’s treatment of the police, a two- year (1964-65) content analysis of this Negro weekly was undertaken. Measurement of space devoted to various aspects of law enforcement and law enforcement personnel was made in terms of the standard journalistic measurement, the column inch. Article content was felt

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to be a valid indicator of the Negro newspaper’s attitude toward police. The content analysis was based on the following criteria:

1. Th.e space devoted to unfavorable articles and/or pictures with police subjects in terms of area and per cent of total newspaper content.

2. The space devoted to favorable articles and pictures with police subjects in terms of area and per cent of total newspaper content.

3. A comparison of items Sl and #2 (above) with each other. 4. The sheer number of articles and pictures in each category,

favorable and/or unfavorable to the police. 5. The number of headlines in each category, favorable and un-

favorable, to the police. 6. The material was also categorized as to: news, pictures, head-

lines, editorial, column, letter or advertisement. The last category, ad- vertisement, refers to job examination and job opportunity announce- ments. Advertisements placed in the newspaper by the police depart- ment or civil service commission were classified as “favorable” since, by advertising in the Negro press, the police were deemed to demon- strate their desire to have Negroes join the police force. These were included as part of the total number of favorable articles.

To attain as high a degree of accuracy as possible, four separate reviews and tabulations of each weekly issue of the newspaper were made. As in content analysis generally, the researcher had to decide whether the news coverage was to be categorized 4 “favorable” of “un- favorable” to the police. In most instances, this posed little or no prob- lem. The following excerpts from the Negro paper that was analyzed serve as indicators of the categorization process: .

Examples of -unfavorable:” 1. January 2, 1961, p. 13 News Summary: ”Paralyzed for

- is prepared to spend the rest-of his life in a wheel- chair. The 17 year old youth was shot down by a (city) polieeman along with a friend, - when the pair was stopped on the way home by officers who accused them of attacking a white woman. .4 complaint was filed with the Justice Department and a civil suit was filed on behalf of - who was never charged with any wrong doing. - was charged with malicious destruction of property amounting to six dollars.”

2. July 24, 1965: “Let Freedom Ring”-“Group Spouts

’Police Chief __ said he knew of no movement underway in the city to establish a Civilian Review Board to spy on the police department. Chief told the (newspaper) last

Life by Cops”

Hate message in Attack on Martin Luther King”

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Tuesday afternoon that he had not heard the latest of the ”Let Freedom Ring” messages on the topic of Civilian Re- view Boards. “Let Freedom Ring” an enterprise of the John Birch Society is a telephone information service conducted by the way out right wing group. The first message attacked Martin Luther King and his “Communist Affiliation.” A fe- male voice is heard on the civilian review board propaganda piece. The voice explains the Communists are behind the movement to set up civilian review boards and that the phrase “police brutality” was initiated by Communists.

The recording says (c i ty ) is now under pressure to es- tablish a Civilian Review Board. Chief - told the (news- paper): “Maybe they know something I don’t.’’ He said he is, of course, against such a review board, that “it is a Communist technique and police have civil rights, too.” The recording alleged that civilian review boards are a secret weapon of the leftist movement. Listeners were urged to send a dollar for information on the “Civilian Review Board” and its relation to the so-called civiI rights move- ment. Chief - said that a similar board was proposed several years ago but it never got off the ground. He doubts if such a movement would ever gain momentum here be- cause of strong opposition.”

3. March 13,1965: “Urge LBJ to Halt Alabama Brutality” (Headline) By-line

Selma, Alabama-An uneasy calm hovered over this small county seat in Dixie’s Black Belt this week as followers of Dr. Martin Luther King looked to the White House for as- sistance in their determined desire to win the right to vote. For 20 tense minutes Tuesday, Dr. King led 2500 marchers on a highway wek towards Montgomery, Alabama, only to be confronted by Gov. George Wallace’s Storm Troopers augmented by armed volunteers who barred their path as they crossed the bridge leading from the Dallas County seat.

On this same highway Sunday, the State Troopers, the sheriffs possemen, gassed, clubbed and bull-whipped a group of marchers who intended to make the 50 mile journey to dramatize Alabama’s discriminatory voting policies.

As the seemingly endless line of marchers walked four abreast only to be confronted by Alabama lawmen who stood two deep across the highway with their police cars fom- ing a barricade to the rear of helmeted lawmen who gripped their long clubs as the marchers approached.

Although there was no repeat of Sunday’s vicious at-

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tack by the lawmen, three white ministers were attacked by five white hoodlums of Selma Tuesday night. . . .

Rank and file marchers were disappointed at turning back without a stronger, though peaceful confrontation with approximately 600 state troopers. And while its form failed to satisfy many, it was clear that Selma demonstrators, in- spired by Dr. King, had the courage to die though Dr. King chose not to lead them to their deaths.

“In the long struggle of the Negro for his legal.rights, one of the big stumbling blocks has been the police force in all of its divisions. In most all communities, every effort has been made to keep Negroes off the forces of law enforce- ment. In northern communities where civil service examina- tions are ostensibly open to all applicants, ways and means have always been found to discourage Negro applicants and, if they take the examinations, to eliminate them from the list.

In the South, Negro applicants were just not accepted. In some few isolated cases special Negro policement have been hired for limited service in Negro areas only. Nearly all of them had no authority to arrest any white person.

The abience of Negroes in law enforpment agencies has certainly reacted against Negroes during the past 10 years of bitter civil rights struggles.

In (city) Negro policemen have rarely been assigned to not duty in racial matters. In the (city) School riot, one Negro policeman who chose to do his duty was reprimanded and reassigned.”

.

4. May 1, 1%: Editorial: “Overlooked Opportunities”

Examples of “favorable:” 1. April 17, 1965: “Police Seek New Patrolmen” I Chief of the city Division of Police and the Munici- pal Service Commission, jointly announced this week an open competitive examination for police patrolmen. W e need re- sourceful young men for our new recruit class,” he said, add- ing, ”It’s an opportunity for an interesting lifetime career that provides security for a young man’s family and an op- portunity for advancement for him; a career in which the opportunity for service to the community is unlimited.”

Patrolmens’ salary starts at $440.00 per month with regular advances to $535.00 per month. Successful candi- dates receive full salary while undergoing a thorough and comprehensive program of training both in classroom and under the guidance of a Tach in the field, he explained.

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He further explained that the competition is “keen and only the finest young men are selected.” Requirements to enter the examination are these:

Males 21 to 31 years of age. Weight must range from 145 pounds to 225 pounds with a height of 5 9” to 6 4”, U.S. citizens, high school graduates or the equivalent. Sight: 20/30 vision without glasses permitted in one eye. Good moral character and excellent physical condition are also essential requirements. Interested persons may apply at the Municipal Civil Service Office.

2. August 29, 1964: “Two Negroes Among 27 Nev

(Name), 25, 1024 - Street, and (nume), 25, 1018 - Blvd., were among 27 newly appointed officers on the city police department, as announced by the mayor.

The mayor noted that the appointees who begin train- ing at the police academy September 8th (the day after Labor Day) will bring the uniform strength of the depart- ment to 483 with another 100 plainclothes and civilian per- sonnel. “This is the first expansion of the police department since I took office in January, but we are hopeful that further expansion is ahead as money becomes available for salaries,” the mayor said.

The 27 new officers actudly represent 21 additional police since 6 of the newcomers are replacing retired of- ficers. Two new officers are expected to be appointed on or about September 12th with the retirement of two other veteran officers.

The men will undergo a 14 week training class period in the city police academy in the City Hall annex under the direction of the captain and his staff, and another 20 weeks in the field, working with veteran police officers. The re- cruits start at $440.00 a month and are eligible to retire as early as age 52, with 25 years service.

3. January 23, 1965: The following excerpt was an edi- torial obituary for a retired Negro police sergeant:

“To say that he was one of the most highly respected men in the whole city would hardly be an exaggeration, for this distinguished 78 year old retired police sergeant was literally loved by many and respected by all.

Always a perfect gentleman, and whose great pride and dignity complimented his sanguine personality and astute- ness, his passing leaves a void in the community that can never be filled.

Policemen”

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This strikingly handsome and always nattily attired civic leader was a man of great character and high ideals. He was a man who unselfishly dedicated his lifetime to the betterment of his community, his country and his fellow man.

In the area of civil rights, he was battling for the rights and economic security of his people long before the be- ginning of the massive Negro revolt. He was a profound literary scholar and even though in the sunset of his un- daunted career, he remained alert and maintained his prin- ciple which gained him the honor and distinction of being one of the city’s most outstanding citizens. He is gone but he left a reservoir of good will to immortalize his memories.”

1. February 8, 196P“Bar association Probes Police Brutality

2. February 15, 19M-*Auto Tag Snafu Embarrasses Cops,

3. February 22, 196pChief - “Exonerates Cops of Brutali-

4. March 7, 1 W ’ F B I Enters Cop Abuse Case; Suit May

5. March 14, 196P”Fomer (City) Printer Slain by (City)

6. September 5,196P“Ekpect FBI Probe, Cop Kills Dad of 7“

The fallowing headlines were considered “unfavorable:”

Claim”

Humiliates Family”

ty Charges”

Follow”

Cop”

. 7. October 17,1!364-”Girl Vanishes After Police Questioning”

Findings The figures presented in Table I indicate that the police were treat-

ed-very unfavorably in terms of total space, number of articles, head- lines, editorials, pictures and letters in the Negro newspaper studied.

The 104 issues of this weekly contained 1968 pages and 328, 944 column inches of print. About 266,OOO column inches of this space was devoted to news-pictures and all other non-advertisement material. This latter space contained 230 articles pertaining to the police, of which three-fourths was moderately to highly unfavorable. Of the 56 pictures involving some aspect of the police function about twch.irds were un- favorable as were 68 per cent of the 148 news items alone. The most unfavorable coverage by far was to be found in the treatment ac- corded the police in the newspaper headlines, the editorials, the by-lined columns and the letters to the editor. For example, not a single letter published on the subject of police was at all favorable. Over 92 per cent.of the headlines were negative as were 85 per cent of the edi- torials and 94 per cent of the by-lined columns.

The page and column placement of these materials equally re-

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flected the general negativism displayed toward law enforcers. Of the unfavorable pictures, for example, 70 per cent were on page one, whereas only 26 per cent of all the favorable pictures were printed on the front page. On the other hand, a higher percentage of the small number of favorable articles than of unfavorable articles were con- tained on the front page.

TABLE I. - Content of Newspaper 1964-1965

Total Issues Analyzed ......................................... 104 Total Pages ....... ...... .................................... 1,968

Total Column Inches Non-Advertising Material ............................ 181,000

Letters, News Photos .................................................................. 82,160 Total.Co1uxx-m Inches Unfavorable News, etc. ................................ 2,171 Total Column Inches Favorable News, etc. . . _ . _ _ 609

Total Column In ........................................................................ 328,944

Total Column Inches News Editorials, Columns,

Total Column Inches Favorable Advertisements .......................... 139

TABLE 11. - Distribution of Favorable and Unfavorable Materials on Police

Content Materials Total News Items .......................... 148

Editorials 27 Advertisements ...................... 6 Letters .................................... 13 Pictures .................................. 56 Headlines .............................. 24

Grand Totals ................ 310

Columns with by-line ........ 36

-

Favorable No % 47 32 2 6 4 15 6 100 0 -

19 34 2 8

80 26 -

Unfavorable No % 101 68 34 94 23 85

0 - 13 100 37 66 22 92

230 74

TABLE 111. - Page 1 Locations Type of Material No % Unfavorable Articles' ...................................................... 48 28 Favorable Articles" ....................................................... 18 37 Unfavorable Pictures ........................................................ 26 70 Favorable Pictures ............................................................ 5 26

''Includes news items, editorials, columns with by-lines and advertise- 'Includes news items, calumns with by-lines, letters and editorials.

ments.

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In an effort to gain additional insight into the reactions to this negative treatment of the police in this newspaper, conversations were held with.various persons in the police, the Negro and the white com- munities. Following are resumes of those interviews: .

Police Officer: A high ranking official of the city police department

felt that the local Negro press was inflammatory, unfair and prone to gross exaggeration, fact twisting and one-sidedness. He stated that in all cases of Negro accusations of police brutality the police department made a thorough and im- partial investigation. The results were always made avail- able to the Negro press. He further stated that his office was always open to representatives of the Negro press and in fact that he had supplied the reporters of the paper with information and pictures he would normally not give to any- one else. He commented that the paper was interested in a story that would sell papers and were not interested in waiting for the facts that the police investigation could turn up. The police official emphasized his desire to get more Negro policemen. He said he would take $$So more to- morrow if I could get thea” Not enough Negroes applied and passed the examination, however, $0 make this pos- sible. He was against a civilian review board as he felt that a civilian who had not encountered the brutality faced by the policeman on the street could not understand the pressures and problems of the police and the necessity for split second decisions, sometimes requiring physical force.

Editor:

The editor of the local edition of the Negro newspaper stated that his newspaper never published a story on police brutality without first checking with the police. He stated that many stories called into him he did not publish as a cursory investigation did not substantiate the allegations. However, when it appeared that the allegations were true, he would contact the police and would always run into dela*@g tactics and suppression of facts designed to protect the policeman. He cited several cases of brutality which he claimed the police tried to deny. The local editor was much in favor of a civilian review board as he felt the police could not be trusted to make an impartial investigation. He did, however, admit that. the police were faced by many

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criminal problems in the Negro community and that their task was not an easy one.

Reporter: The local Negro newspaper reporter who worked the

police beat appeared basically friendly to the concept of law enforcement. When questioned on the police brutality stones he had written, he stated that they were true. He agreed that many Negroes called the police ‘%brutal” in order to distract attention from their own crimes. He went on to relate several instances of respectable members of the Negro community suffering physical brutality at the hands of the police, for no cause whatsoever. He repeated the editor‘s contention that the police were evasive in their dealings with the Negro press and that their investigations were actually tactics to protect an accused policeman. He was in favor of a civilian review board. He felt that an increase in the num- ber of Negro policemen would help solve the problem, but he did not feel that the police department really wanted more Negro police and further that Negro policemen would not be treated fairly by the other policemen. He cited a refusal by the preceding Chief of Police to put Negro policemen on ambulance duty since the police chief alleged that the white population was not ready to accept a Negro policeman entering a white home to take a white woman to the hospital.

Retired Negro Deputy Chief of Police: The Negro newspapers are inflammatory. They publicize

topics that lend themselves to sensationalism in order to sell papers, as from a pure news basis they obviously can’t compete with the white press. The local Negro newspaper is so poorly financed and so understaffed that even were they inclined to be fair to the police when charges were levied by individual Negroes, they couldn’t do so as they have no capability for thorough investigations. Moreover, they will not work with the police in attempting to ascertain the facts. The normal investigation will take several days, at least, and the newspaper, having a deadline to meet, ap- parently cannot wait that long. Therefore, false charges are normally published. Frequently, the paper will publish charges before they even inform the police that such con- tentions have been made. The police files have been opened

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up to the newspaper, but they do not want to make use of them. Moreover, at least one of the staff had a prison record -two felony convictions. There certainly were instances of un- necessary use of force by white policemen against Negroes, but these instances were minute in comparison to the allega- tions-all such infractions were punished. More Negro police are needed, but it has proven to be extremely difficult to recruit Negroes. The Negro who can qualify to be a police- man usually can make as much or more money doing some- thing Iess demanding and dangerous. The Negrs press, by making the police appear to be oppressors of the Negro community, has not helped the recruiting situation either. Negroes sometimes have to be dealt with harshly in police situations as too often lower-class Negroes understand nothing else. Proportionally, more Negroes than whites fit this cate- gory. The Negro policeman on the other hand will be ex- pected, by the Negro community, to be partial to Negro violators. However, if he is capable, he can overcome this expectation without building too much resentment. To over- come the dislike felt toward the police by the Negro com- munity, the policemen must make themselves participants in the community. In order to win friends in the community, the police should undertake more social work type programs such as ”PAL.”

Negro Attorney: The question of police brutality could be answered in

several different ways, depending on one’s point of view. Many accusations of brutality are really complaints about police callousness and discourtesy. Police tend to treat Negroes in a very discourteous manner; for instance, making free use of the word “boy” in addressing Negroes. This left Negroes with a general bad feeling for police and tended to exaggerate any instance where physical force was a factor. The Negro newspaper puts into print what people tell them without taking the time to examine the true facts. This is due to the fact that the newspaper doesn’t have the facilities and/or capacity for a thorough investigation. The police could serve themselves and the newspaper by making their files and investigators readily accessible to the news media. This would eliminate a great deal of the falsely tinged articles. The police should make strong efforts to win the newspaper to its side as the paper’s influence is great and it could help to re-educate the Negro community. The addi-

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tion of more Xegro policemen would not be an absolute solution as the Negro policeman tends to be too lenient with Negro offenders. ( N a m e ) does not feel that the Negro com- munity looks upon the average Negro policeman as a traitor since the average Negro policeman doesn’t do enough to warrant the title. There are so few Negro policemen be- cause the requirements are high enough that qualified Negroes can get other better paying, less abrasive jobs. (Name) can- not recall a concentrated effort on the part of the police to actually get more Negroes on the force.

Negro College Graduate - Civil Rights Worker: The Negro press must look for the sensational and lurid

in order to attract readers. Most Negro newspapers do not have the manpower to dig into what actually happened so they accept the story given them by complainants. However, the Negro newspaper does receive much criticism from many Negroes for not publishing enough complaints about the police and for making those complaints published relatively mild. The actual Negro attitude towards the police is worse than the paper indicates. The police, however, often bring this dislike upon themselves. An instance grew out of pro- test by Negro community leaders that too much crime and prostitution was occuring on - Street, the main thorough- fare of a Negro community. Police, bowing to the demands of the Negro community, descended on - Street in force. Instead of protecting Negro women from insults by white men looking for prostitutes, they gave tickets to jaywalkers and people who were double-parked. White policement tend to use gruff and insulting language to Negroes and will push, shove and hit Negroes when resisted more readily than they would hit whites. However, out and out cases of police brutality are rare. The white from Appalachia is only one step above the Negro in the police pickup order. How- ever, the lower class, uneducated Negro generally must be dealt with more severely than an upper class Negro. Where the police make a mistake is in treating all Negroes as lower class. More Negro policemen would not alleviate the prob- lem the police face in acceptance without specialized train- ing. Negro policemen assume the standards of the white middle-class community and thus alienate themselves from the majority of the Negro community. The main obstacle the police face is that they have no real avenue of communica- tion with the Negro community and also, the police are

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generally ignorant of Negroes as a group except for those Negroes they come into contact with as violators.

Negro Female Federal Employee : Her one contact with the police was when her home was

burglarized. She felt that the integrated detective team that interviewed her really didn’t care about her case. She was never contacted after the first interview and feels that noth- ing was ever done to catch the burglars. She does not fee1 that the police respect Negroes as much as they do whites. The police treat Negroes much rougher, speak crudely to them and push Negroes around. She thinks police feel they must be rougher on Negroes. The Negro police are no real help as too many are “Uncle Toms.” She doesn’t really know any Negro policemen. She would not want any son of hers to be a policeman and would not become a policewoman herself as the job and its status are distasteful. Moreover, since so many crimes are committed by Negroes, why should she embarrass herself by arresting a “brother.” “Let the whites do it” The white police could help themselves by protecting middle-class Negroes such as herself who are harassed by white “whore-hunters” who prowl the Negro community.

Social Worker (white) : A white social worker who has had over ten years ex-

perience working in the Negro community feels that the police are prejudiced-not only against the Negro but against the poor in general. This prejudice is manifested in dis- courtesy, gruffness, ill humor and some undue physical force through the vast majority of brutality charges are unjustified. The Negro press encourages the proliferation of such charges by its attitude towards the police. The police hold the solu- tion to the problem in their own hands. If they would re- educate their men in how to deal with minority groups and would mingle more in the community via the speaker’s bureau, community action projects, community centers and public Conferences, the police would be well on their way to building a better understanding of themselves and their problems in the Negro c o m h t y . He is for a civilian re- view board.

Minister : The police do treat Negroes brutally. Police say that

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Negroes are just “that way” and must be roughly treated to be made to understand. The brutality he refers to consists of words as much as physical force. Police minds are set to feel that Negroes are lower types and therefore the police treat the Negroes in that manner. The solution lies in better training and more Negro police. The police must be trained in problems of race and poverty. The police must be trained to eliminate all manifestations of their inner feelings when making an arrest. The Negro policeman does face a handicap in being termed a traitor by the Negro community, but this label can be overcome. If the police improve, the Negro newspaper will come around to a more favorable attitude.

Several lower class Negroes spoken to all manifested distrust and dislike for the police. The terms used by these Negroes rather faith- fully echoed the terminology used by the local Negro newspaper.

There is no panacea for the problem faced by the police relative to the Negro press, and the Negro press is only a reflection of the at- titude prevalent in the Negro community as a whole. The police, how- ever, are not helpless. Much can be done and Negro, as well as white attitudes can be changed but the effort will have to be made by the police. The Negro community is not organized to change the attitude of its own people, even if the commuNty were inclined to do so. How- ever innocent a particular police department may be, it has to bear the brunt of generations of suppression, real or exaggerated, felt by Negroes at the hands of police at other times and at other places. If the attitude of the Negro community to the police is changed to a favorable one, not only will the task of the police be eased in their dealings with Negroes arrested for crimes, but it is not at all incon- ceivable that fewer Negroes will be arrested for crimes. I suspect that many other social changes will ensue if the picture of the policeman, white and black, becomes that of a protector in the Negro community,

David Epstein has had ten years of experience working with local, state, federal and military law enforcement agencies.

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