Capital News Service
LANSI G - People who like
peed on metropolitan
oi freeways better enjoy it
bile it lasts.
e . ght of a police officer
u ys in the Detroit area
will become more requent
beginning this summer when
state police resume patrolling
the roads.
At present only half of the
metro area freeways are
covered by regular beat patrols
but the Michigan State Police
plan to increase forces and
centralize police-post locations
in the Detroit area to more effi­
ciently monitor the freeway net­
work, said the .state police
Inspector Tim Youngford.
Freeway patrol is not inten-:
sive enough," said Col. Rich
Davis, director of the Michigan
State Police. "We're trying to
beef the forces up.
There were 130 miles of
freeway we were 'not covering."
tate police regularly
patrolled all Detroit area
freeways during the 19705 but
cut bac in the early 19805 for
monetary and budget reasons.
Interstates 75, 94, 96 and 696 are
the main focus of state patrols.
Other freeways are covered pe­
riodically, Youngford said.
Detroit City Police and
county heriff departments do
not patrol freeways unless
responding to a call, Youngford
added. .
Additional
patrols are
·aimed at
reducing
speed,drug
trafflckl ng
and
shooting
on Detroit.
freeways
Seventy-seven new troopers
will be assigned.to the Detroit
area by June 1 to intensify enfor­
cement, Youngford said.
"Their primary mission is to
patrol freeways in the tricounty
area," Youngford added.
The additional patrols are
aimed at reducing high speed
driving, drug trafficking and
shootings that are common to
Detroit freeways, Davis said.
'The troopers increase
precedes a restructuring of
police posts in the area which
will dispatch officers rnore effi­
ciently. The restructuring is ex­
pected to be completed by Oct.
1.
Davis said the 'state police
would like to dispatch all metro
activities from one area.
The central command center
would be located in Detroit and
would be aided by two other
posts called Metro North and
Metro South to be located in the
First African
American,
Judge for
Wa htenaw
YPSILA TI- The retire­
ment of two Wa htenaw Coun­
ty jud e parked hope in the
heart of AACP members
here that Gov. James
Blanchard would replace the
- two with A rican American
appointee.
Gov. give
AACP
halt-a-to f
Though population percent- .
age would have meri tC,d t ,0
appointment. the Yp ilanti-
Willo Run Branch AACP
letter Writing and lobbying
campaign won one judicial
eat for the African American
community.
ancy Franci became the
first African American judge
in W stenaw county ith her
appointment to the. Juvenile
bench.
A white male, Don Shelton,
was appointed to fill the Cir­
cuit Court vacancy.
The two retiring judges
were Judge EdwardD. Deake
from the Circuit Court. 'and
Judge Judith Wood from
Juvenile Court.
There are 14 judges in
Wa htenaw County; one
African American female; one
other female and the balance
whi te . male, according to
Raymond Mullins. NAACP
pokcspcr on.
Accordinu to Mullins. the
Washtcna County
Democratic Party bac cd the
AACP resolution calling on
the governor to appoint an
African American to the Cir-­
cuit Court bench.
Of the letter writing cam­
paign and lobbying effort.
Mullins aid. "The effort wa
commendable and obviou I y
effective. History was made a
a result. It i hoped th t the
lines of communication
opened by this exercise will be
utilized in the future to effect
other governmental deci io
regarding African Americans
and other minorities.
suburbs, Youngford said.
Metro North will be located
near the 1-75 and 1-696 intersec­
tion. Metro South could be
pJaced in the area near Taylor,
Dearborn Heights and Allen
Park. Both locations would be
staffed by new officers and of­
ficers from current nearby
posts.
Existing police posts may be
moved to nearby communities
to be more centrally located, he
added.
Youngford said moving the
Pontiac post to Clarkston and
the Erie post to Monroe are ex­
amples of improved centraliza­
tion.
'We think it will greatly in­
crease our effectiveness in those
areas," Youngford said. "Our
ability to respond to calls will be
greatly enhanced."
The efficiency of many exist­
ing posts is hindered due to
their location, he said.
Youngford said many cur­
rent posts were established in
the 1930s or 1940s and were lo­
cated in rural areas that
originallyhad no police agency.
Davis said the restructuring
is part of strategic planning that
has been developing for over a
year.
Students
d from
I,
Students represented group
ranging from the Alpha Phi
. pha Fraternity, to the As­
sociation of Black Business Stu­
dents, to Wayne State
University Gospel Choir, t
former "study-in" negotiators.
When one student
negotiator, Errol Henderson
took the podium for more th
four minutes, he was told he ha
to wrap up.
Other student speakers who
were scheduled to follow him
yelled, "He can have our five
minutes. He can have aU of our
five minutes."
Butler insisted, Henderson,
sum up his concerns however,
sparking an unrest among the
students.
'Henderson left the podium,
but he also left the meeting with
the majority of the students with
him.
The students charged
university officials, including
WSU President David
Adamany, Liberal Arts Dean
Dalmus Taylor and the pastor
as not being sincere in their ef­
forts in solving the Department
dilemma.
House, th students' choice
for Department chair, spoke
after the students left. .
She offered a Department
update. which s e said
had "no progress of implemen­
tation." ., .
As far as University -of Pit­
tsburgh educator, Bren a Ber-
rian, House cited Oct. 18,
1989 section A-3 article in the
"Chronicle for Higher Educa­
tion."
Berrian quoted as saying
univer ity officials "were not
willing to finance (the proposed
African Studies Department)
properly. (fluctuatiDg &om the
5472,000 apeed OD duri the
. ").
Lead poisons
Detroit,
BentonHarbor
kids most I
A study released by the En­
vironmental Defen e Fund put
the children in Benton Harbor
and Detroit as leading the list
of those afflicted with lead
poisoning.
In Detroit, 23.4 percent of
330.694 children age 6
month to five years have
blood levels of Jead con­
sidered toxic.
In the Benton Harbor
metropolitan are ·which
covers all of Berrien County
. on the outhwe t corner of the
. tate, 18.3 percent, or 2.634
out of 14,393 children are
elieved to be poi oned.
The study said nearly 70
percent of. urb n African
American children from poor
famil ics are estimated to ex­
ceed afe levels of lead con­
tamination.
The results of lead poison­
ing arc non-rever ible and
result in lower i.q., higher
drop out level ,poorer chool .
nd job performance. the st ud y
revealed.
In Benton Harbor, com­
munity group such a the
Tenants Org nization have
fought landlord with le d­
based paint and uncovered
le d-ba ed paint in Benton
Twp. public ho ina projects.
81
I
ou
mented in name only "just to
shut up students," House cited
Berrian as quoted in the article.
"Berrian refused to be used
to impede the progress of her
contr ry.
people," House said. "The
. University i abusing our young
people." .
House described WSU im­
mobilty on the st tus of the
depanoonent as econonUcchains
on the students.
As a one of the original
protestors of to implement the
Center for Black Studies,
House asked why should
African-Americans be required
to be "pacified" in order to be
succe fuI.
. "Why should it be demanded
of peopl;e of color?" she as' ed.
She then asked university of­
ficials what they were going to
do?
Adamany reponded long
with Taylor that the department
h d been implemented.
The pastors told the tudents
the Council had to vote on
ether i would upport them
or not.
No date gWen for the
vote. The p tor ould not
COIIIIlDClIt, aay further. .