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Part of Police brutality addressed at forum, October 19, 1992

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AVOID THE PROBLEM: At last week's forum on police brutality, panelists offered this advice.

Police brutality addressed at forum
JULIAN WILLOCK
Spectrum Staff Writer
The burning issue of police

brutality took center stage this
past Monday at a public forum
sponsored by UB's Black Student
Union (BSU). Topics addressed
included what could be done in
the event of police brutality or
harassment, and how students
could counteract police brutality
by taking political, legal and
community measures.
Distinguished panelists includ­
ed Ted Kirkland of The Chal­
lenger, Donald Muhammed from
the nation of Islam and Lieu­
tenant McCarthy Gipson from the
Buffalo Police Department.
In their presentations, the pan­
elists reminded the students that
as African Americans, they have
to always expect that white and
black officers will treat them dif­
ferently.
Muhammed advised students
of color to always avoid conflict
with police. He urged students to
try and be polite and res pec t
authority and that maintaining
this respect could go a long way
in defu sing situations.
File a report
One audience member suggest­
ed that everyday in Buffalo, there
is a "Rodney King-like situation,
but we never hear about it."

Most students present com­
plained that they are constantly
stopped by the police for no rea­
son. Many said they are harassed
on a daily basis.
Gipson advised students to go
down to the police precinct and
file reports if they feel that they
are victims of brutality and/or
unwarranted harassment. Kirk­
land urged students to be aware
of their rights and to apply pres­
sure on local elected officials to,
in his words, "help bring justice
and equality for all victims of
police brutality."
'Racism' in uniform
Many of the students expressed
what they have seen as a pattern of
racism in the police department.
They said they do not trust the
'men in blue,'; instead they feel
"threatened" and "intimidated."
Keeanga Talya, a UB student
who attended the forum , said,
"The cops and courts are instru­
ments of the racist class oppres­
sion and the blame should not be
put on the backs of black students
to ac t polite ... even if you ac t
polite and do the right thing, they
will still mess with you."
In response, Kirkland said he
was simply trying to give advice
on how to deal with a racist soci­
ety, and he admitted that both the
police and the students must play
an equal role in respecting one
another.

Rodney King: a symbol
Students and members of the
panel asserted that the image of a
'lynch mob in blue uniforms' tor­
turing a black man lying helpless
on the ground has become the
symbol of racist police brutality
in America.
BSU President James Minter
said, "The best thing we can do is
use the law and avoid situations
where the cops will have reasons
to harrass us." When asked what
blacks should do if that fails,
Minter suggested, "We protect
ourselves by whatever mean s
necessary."
Muhammed reminded students
that there are more black males in
jail than in college, and told them
"you here have a responsibility to
work hard and uplift your people
and stop blaming every one else
for your problems."
Another st ud ent, Andrew
Campbell, complained that every
time he has a party at his house,
the cops come and break it up.
Campb ell said a t tim es "they
[police] use racial slurs and treat
students of color as if they are
second class citizens."
Once again, use of the legal
system was encouraged and con­
sidered the bes t combatant to
harassment and brutality.
"Racist cop atrocities occur all
the time," Gipson said . "Th e
problem is how we deal with it."