Crime rates No. 1
woe in survey;
20% of state
households hi
Sovti
man
The Michigan Daily-Friday, September 5, 1980-Page 11-8
erts increase
ned space flights
(Continued from Page 3)
who is not given to hyperbole. He
believes the Soviets are developing
such weapons to be used either from
orbiting spaceships or from Earth.
A member of the House Armed Ser-
vices Committee seems to take the
threat seriously, too.
"We may be a lot closer to 'Buck
Rogers' or 'Star Wars' than most folks
realize," said Rep. William Dickinson.
Shooting down another nation's space
satellites would not break any laws,'as
long as they are out of the Earth's at-
mosphere. The SALT 1 treaty protects
satellites only until they reach "outer
space."
"There's a need for some kind of in-
ternational legislation to prevent a
shoot-em-out in space," says the
Western analyst. But so far the
Russians aren't interested in talking,
despite informal overtures from the
United States.
LANSING (UPI)-Crime touched
one-fifth of all Michigan households in
the past year and residents in a "get
tough" mood continued to rate it their
communities' No. 1 problem, a new
survey reported Wednesday.
The survey--entitled Public: Opinion
on Crime and Criminal Justice--also,
however, reported the number of per-
sons victimized by crime was not up
ubstantially from last year and said 75
r cent of those who responded feel
reasonably safe in their own neigh-
borhoods at night.
About 6 of 10 Michigan residents con-
tinue to favor reinstating the death
penalty in a state which was the first to
abolish it, the survey also showed.
IT ALSO SHOWED support for stiff
mandatory sentences and opposition to
removing so-called status offenses
rom the jurisdiction of the probate
~ourt.
The eighth annual survey-conducted
by the criminal justice office of the
state budget department-covered a
sample of 800 households during the
period March 5-22.
In 20 per cent of all Michigan
households, either a resident or the
premises was the victim of some form
of crime in the past year-up slightly
from 17 per cent in 1979-the survey
found. The most common crime was
arceny or theft.
IT IS WELL down, however, from the
one of every four level reported in 1976.
Crime, as expected, was found 'more
frequently in central cities but the sur
vey, also dispelled the notion that the
elderly are the most common victims.
Those surveyed saw stricter
penalties and a beefed-up police
presence as the best answers to crime.
An increase in the mention of police-
related solutions suggests a "'get
tough' attitude among citizens,' the
report said.
REHABILITATION and punishment
were ranked about evenly as priorities
for the prison system and 56 per cent
said they would be willing to pay from
$1 to $25 per year to build new in-
stitutions to ease overcrowding. A
proposal to raise taxes for prison
crowding will appear on the fall ballot.
* A majority said other so-called vic-
timless crimes such as prostitution,
homosexual acts, and gambling should
remain illegal. The public appeared
divided on lowering marijuana
penalties.
* Two-thirds of Michigan residents feel
sentences are too lenient, with the
feeling strongest among whites and the
elderly.
" Eight of 10 opposed plea bargaining
for major crimes and there was a split
on election versus appointment of
judges.
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I
Daily Photo by PAUL ENGSTROM'"
Jungle palms
School of Art sophomore Suzi Weidenthal admires a palm at the Panhellenic
Association's plant sale in the Union's Pendleton Room. The Association plans
to donate its proceeds to sudden infant death syndrome research. The greenery
abounds until Sunday.
-wU
w
" -
B.
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