8 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, July 3, 1996 N Ew S
'U' adopts committee's recommendations for DPS
By Sam T. Dudek
Daily Staf Reporter
The arrest of John Matlock is contin-
uing to have a powerful impact on the
University's Department of Public
Safety and how it operates.
The University announced June 20
that complaints against DPS officers
will be examined by an oversight com-
mittee, according to a joint memoran-
dum signed by outgoing President
James Duderstadt and Chief Financial
Officer Farris Womack.
Although state law mandates that
such a policy be enacted, the
University's Public Safety Oversight
Committee had received only one
grievance in its four-year existence
before the Matlock arrest.
Instead, the committee cited in a June
17 report, "the Committee was not
informed of the existence or the han-
dling or the disposition of complaints
against police officers made directly to
the Department."
The committee's June 17 report
made recommendations on how to
improve the group's effectiveness in
monitoring grievances against DPS
officers. The University responded
three days later with the following
policy changes:
The committee was grattted with
a part-time office staff, a telephone,
storage space and a budget. The
Oversight Committee had none of
these facilities since its formation in
1992.
DPS was notified they must
inform the committee of every com-
plaint filed against a DPS officer.
The committee's request for a
criminal law attorney to be hired by the
General Counsel's Office, to better han-
dIe DPS complaints, is still under
review by the University.
The University will also reestablish
the Task Force on Campus Safety and
Security, the group that helped found
DPS.
School of Music Dean Paul C.
Boylan will once again head the task
force in charge of reviewing the
progress.
The activity level of the committee
took a dramatic upswing earlier this
year.
John Matlock, director of the
Office of Academic Multicultural
Initiatives, claimed he was wrongly
arrested Feb. 17 by two white DPS
officers. Matlock, who is black, filed
a complaint to the committee against
the two officers.
The Oversight committee's ensuing
investigation has been postponed untO
after Matlock's scheduled trial in July.
The OAMI director faces misdemeanor
charges of assault and interfering with a
police officer.
Local NAACP reflects on JBaker requests Nike investigation
landm ark segregation cases Byennif.rHarveytractwithNike,Inc. childlabor?'"Harrisonsaid.
Dy.Mantagintg Netrs Editr t, ihNkIc lidlbr" arst ad
"Every time I see that Nike symbol, I Harrison said ie has already contact-
By Anita Chik At the June meeting of the University think about the University of Michigan ed a number of people about the issu
Daily Staff Reporter and protest. If we look at our move- Board of Regents, Regent Deane Baker and I think about child labor," Baker including Nike, Inc., Reebok, Inc., and
ment, we have always been protesting. (R-Ann Arbor) said he wanted the said. several watch-dog groups. He said lae
In celebrating the 100th anniversary We start looking for excuses now. All University to look into concems he has In a recent written statement, Nike, doubted the University was the only one
of Pessy vs. Ferguson, a court case those things that we have fought for, we about Nike, Inc. Inc. denied it employs an inappropriate of Nike's contractual partners asking
which allowed segregation in public need to revisit those," he said. Baker cited a June 16 article in the labor force, calling such allegations such questions.
schools, a local chapter of the National Matlock mentioned past leaders such New York Times titled "Indonesian "completely false." larrison said he will share theinfor-
Association for the Advancement of as Martin Luther King, Jr. in his speech, asset is also a liabilty" as the basis for The statement said the average Nike sation he gathers with the other execu-
Colored People sponsored a forum to to encourage the audience to step out as his concern. The article detailed allega- line-worker's age in Asia is double the tive officers and Interim University
discuss the continual struggle for racial leaders and act for the future. He said tions about Nike, Inc.'s use of child government-mandated minimum. President Homer Neal. The information
equality. people should understand that they labor in the production of its athletic Vice President for University may eventually be delivered to th
Participants who attended the forum, have some control over their destiny. wear. The article was one of numerous Relations Walter Harrison said he is Board of Regents.
sponsored by the Ypsilanti-Willow Run Eleanore Rhoden, a participant and similar reports that have been printed heading up the checks Baker request- Harrison said he could not speculate
branch of the NAACP, revisited P/essy Ypsilanti resident, said, "I have an recently. ed. on what action, if any, the University
and Brown vs. Board, which in 1954 expectation one day we will realize the Baker said he was especially con- "The question we're asking right now night take. "We'll find out what the
declared that the "separate but equal" opportunity that we will be extended cerned about the issue because of the is, 'Is Nike taking effective steps to facts are and then we'll see what we'll
clause was unacceptable. They conclud- equally without prejudice of color, gen- University Athletic Department's con- address human rights issues, such as do next."
ed that some of the same racial problems' der and ethnic background."
continue to plague NAACP Ypsilanti-Willow Run
society today. branch Vice President Victoria Regentsaccept annual Medical Center budget
"The (Brown) Swanson said the program reminded Rte
decision is not fully people of how desegregation started By Katie Wang
implemented. We in an educational system. She said Daily News Editor Forsyth estimated that the 847 to 793. This reduction includ
continue to strug the Brown decision opened up the University Health System's cost-per- the elimination of 10 inpatient beds
gle to see equality door for minorities who were denied There was good and bad news to case is about $2,698 higher than its at the Kellogg Eye center and a 32-
for all people" said equal opportunities. She added that report on the status of the University competitors. He attributed this dif- bed general care unit in the main
NAACP Ypsilanti- African Americans can improve their Health System at the meeting of the ference to several factors, including hospital.
Willow Run branch status if they act as a "self-support- University Board of Regents on June research support, and the education- The reductions are all being made
P r ea si d e n t ive, but not a separate, community." 21, which reviewed and passed the al mission of the hospital and in an attempt for the Medical Center
Raymond Mullins. Matlock Swanson said, "We are developing a Medical Center's 1996-1997 budget salaries which are above the market. to become more cost-competitive
"It is a lifelong self-supportive system when we are proposal. "One of our many challenges is with local, state and regional hospi-
work, until we die, to end discrimina- creating a situation where we can better Although John Forsyth, outgoing that society continually backs away tals while maintaining quality health
tion." do it ourselves than to depend on some- executive director of University Health from supporting the academic excel- care.
Mullins said misconceptions exist one else to do it for us." System, described the health center as lence we represent," Forsyth said. Staff reductions will also continueS
that blacks are usually criminals and When Matlock talked about how the "robust" compared to other academic "The majority of (the higher cost- be made as originally announced.
that the economic conditions ofAfrican Brown spirit extended to campus, he health centers, it still plans to trim $60 per-case) is because of our academic About 1,055 job positions are expected
Americans and whites are still not said the University needs to deal with million from its budget in accordance mission." to be eliminated, but half of them will
equal. people's attitudes, which help build a with its three-year plan to cut operating Forsyth also said that the patients be made through attrition. Last month,
John Matlock, director of the better atmosphere of racial harmony. expenses by about $200 million. at the Medical Center are sicker than the Medial Center distributed 541
University Office of Academic "We still have a long way to go "The good news is that we accom- patients admitted to other hospitals. reduction-in-force notifications to its
Multicultural Initiatives, said race before we are truly a campus that plished our 1996-97 objective of reduc- Forsyth said, however, that the employees. Many of those employees,
remains the major issue in the country values and appreciates diversity," he ing FTEs (Full Time Equivalents) to a hospital was not in financial trouble, however, had an opportunity to fill
today, although some people do not see said. "The whole issue in terms of level comparable with the best peer aca- but it is taking measures to try to about 200 open positions in other areas
race as a problem at times. the Brown spirit is that even though demic medical centers," Forsyth said. make sure that it does not suffer of the Medical Center, and another 30
"One thing that always bothers me Brown opened the door for integra- "The bad news is that our cost-per-case financial problems. to 50 University positions.
now is that we don't seem to get mad tion, the whole issue of mutual is still significantly higher than that of The Medical Center will also cut
anymore. We have had enough to go out appreciation is often lacking." local and regional hospitals." the number of beds in service from
M
I
f
f
1
t
rb
I
Y
EYE EXAM'' &8LERE OGLA.SSES
[A[) tru HL_ WGIORGIO ARMANI
CALVIN KLE IN
e y e w e a r
STUDENT DISCOUNTS