VOL. XVI NO. 19 An Informed People Is A Free People MARCH 27 - APRIL 2.1994
By ESTHER WALLEN
C.pltal HeM Service
will work with neighborhood
watch progr ms, clergy and
busin to combat crime, but
with a slightly different twist.
They are inviting residents to
"develop a relationship" with
their area police officers. That
idea will include bringing a new
light to police beats. Officers are
encouraged to meet more people
in their community, encourage
their input and take heed' of their
opinions, Yopp said.
LANSING - Once upon a time
when young people got into
trouble with the law they were
carted home to their parents -
where often after a cup of coffee
and a little chat - a potential
problem was nipped in the bud.
Those days are over now - at
least in urban areas. Today it is
more cost efficient to take young
offenders down to the police sta-
tion and hope they will real-
ity, Highland Par police
officials say.
"It used to be that we could
to 'Johnny' and
I to hi parent, but ith
bud t cu and cut cD in per-
onnel, we can't do that any
more," said Hubert Yopp, ser­
geant of the Highland Park Po­
lice Department.
But as crime dramatically in­
creases in cities like Highland
Park - a city enclave known as
a tough area surrounded by De­
troit - some say a small-town
idea could help a big city prob­
lem.
"I SEE A relationship be­
tween the police and community­
as important in dealing with
crim ," Yopp id. "If you in-
eu uni • hey
understand the probl areas
involved in crime.
"We want to impact our juve­
nil . ICyou can get to our youths
that's the core of the problem," he
said.
Yopp said the need for the pro­
gram came about because crime
in urban areas are often handled
quite differently than in mall
towns.
In places like Ludington - a
resort town located on Lake
Michigan, north of Muskegon -
people know the police officers
and see them as their friends. It
is easier, Yopp said for small­
town police to stop situations be­
fore tney get out of hand.
,
o
't
,
t
By RON SEIGEL
S eclill to the Michl .n Citizen
DETROIT - While sharing a
platform with President Bill
Clinton, Clementine Chi m­
Barfield, founder ofth D troit
area anti-crime organization
called Save Our Sons and
Daughters (S AD), urged the
Pr siden to et prioriti s to
"make this aceful country."
Clinton took time to talk with
her abou the organization and
th work it was doing during
his re 11 vi i in Detroit.
However.ish told theMichi­
gan Citizen that she w criti-
cal of Clinton's proposal to im­
prison for life those guilty of
three felonies, what he calls a
"three strikes and you're out"
policy.
Chism, w hos son died as a
victim of crime, called the pol­
icy "more legislation to lock up
poor Black males and 0 her mi­
norities. That's why it's so im­
portant that we put more into
prevention so young people
don't commit f loni in the
first place," sh aid.
"Young peopl a a vital re­
sourc ," she said, "w 're trying
to ave them, turn them
around to salva human po-
tential."
mediation, "at best temporary,"
because the. conflicts can only
be solved when the third party,
the mediator, is around.
"People have to learn to com-
municate themsel as to fully
resolve the conflict." she said.
Sh also said trot the coun­
try has to deal wit.h economic
problems. In poor Black com­
munities, she id, problems in
getting opportunities or mate­
rial things creates "frustration
and dnger. People take it out on
those closest toth m." she said.
When asked about cases
Clinton raised to justify the
See SOSAD. A8
A NEW PROGRAM to bring
about a small-town feel between
inner city residents and police
officers is t out to diminish the
disadvantages of living in the in­
ner city, Yopp said.
Targeting young people and
the unemployed, the Highland
Park Police Department and cit­
ies all across the state have im­
plemented a new program that
will try a comm unity policing ap­
proach to combating crime.
Like v ral anti-crime rl"O­
grams, neighborhood police de­
partments - from Traverse City
and Kalamazoo to Ingham
County, Lansing and Detroit -
CHISM NOTES THAT
SOSAD is trying to teach
peace, "to make peace popular,
the preferred life style." This
involves demonstrations and
parties commemorating peace,
and efforts to emphasize peace
in the curriculum of different
schools. It also involves train­
ing. people in conflict resolu­
tion.
She emphasizes this is not
the same thing as mediation,
since in mediation a third party
assist the parties in coming up
�th an agreement. She called
THATIS OMETHINGcity
police officers never have the
chance to do, he added.
. According to the Ludington
Police Department, crime in
small towns is often handled dif­
ferently than in larger cities.
Taking young people home to
their parents is no longer an op­
tion, but the police department
SeeCOPS,AB
o
that we can stop all th crime, "
he said. "We can only try to con­
trol it."
YOWlg claimed much of B n­
ton Harbor's crime st ms from
its jobl rate - annually OD
the highest in th tate, accord-
un mployment rate has n at
1 t 22 percent, peaking t 43. 1
pe nt in 1982. Last year, 29
per nt of the workfo was un-
mployed, compared to ev n
percent ta wide.
"Jobs r th numb r one
By ANDREW HENION
Cllpltlll N�w$ Service
and director of th Benton Har­
bor St t Ministry, which pro­
vides drug and alcohol
couns ling. "We've n a pros­
perous city turn into a city de­
pend nt on welfa "
Thl block of abandoned buildings In downtown Benton Harbor is the
site of th first office for this newspaper. ( 010. by Andr w H nion)
ny ill io
ha
CURTIS YOU�G
