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    "title": "Graduation Exercises, Police Academy, Grand Rapids, MI, July 17, 1970",
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        "Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers",
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box D30, folder \"Graduation Exercises, Police\nAcademy, Grand Rapids, MI, July 17, 1970\" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press\nSecretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nDestribution:\n10\ncapies\nto\nMr.\nFod only\nmaffice\nCopy\nAN ADDRESS BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.\nAT GRADUATION EXERCISES OF THE GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., POLICE ACADEMY\nAT UNION HIGH SCHOOL\nGRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN\n8 P.M. FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1970\nFOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY\nMr. Superintendent, members of the 1970 graduating class of the Grand Rapids\nPolice Academy, their families and friends:\nAs we meet here tonight we are all filled with a feeling of pride. It is\na most natural feeling, a justifiable feeling, one that traces to a knowledge of\naccomplishment and of prospective community betterment.\nThe members of this graduating class have completed a course of rigorous\ntraining. They are now equipped to begin an important and arduous task -- that of\nprotecting the public safety.\nIn the words of the ancient Romans, \"The people's safety is the highest\nlaw.\" In my view, there is no job more vital than that of being a guardian of the\npeople's safety. It is a most important trust.\nWe have in our national constitution a Bill of Rights, the first ten\nconstitutional amendments, which became effective Dec. 15, 1789. Nearly 13 years\nearlier the State of Virginia adopted a Bill of Rights which is the father of all\nAmerican bills of rights.\nThe Virginia Bill of Rights declared: \"Government is, or ought to be,\ninstituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation\nor community; of all the various modes and forms of government, that is best\nwhich is capable of producing the greatest degree of happiness and safety, and is\nmost effectually secured against the danger of maladministration.\"\nWe in America are concerned about safeguards against corruption and\noppression in government, and we have legislated to the end that the people shall\nbe protected against such maladministration. We are also concerned, and rightfully\nso, with the public safety and the proper administration of justice.\nThe members of this graduating class will assist in the achievement of one\nof government's most vital functions -- that of attaining the highest possible\ndegree of public safety.\nThe lot of the policeman has always been hard. It is particularly difficult\nFOR\ntoday when social forces are at work that increasingly involve the police in crowd\n(more)\nGERALDS\nDigitized from Box D30 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\n--2-\ncontrol and in peace-keeping. This subjects officers of the law to a wide variety\nof verbal and physical abuse.\nAs you go about your peace-keeping tasks, please remember that for every\ndetractor and revolutionary who shouts foul names at you there are thousands of\nsupporters who are grateful for your efforts and thank God that there are still\nmen today who are courageous enough to stand between the constructive law-abiding\ncitizen and outright anarchy.\nThe overwhelming majority of the 200 millions of people in the United States\nadmire you and are keenly aware of the dignity of your work.\nThey know your work is meaningful and that you are dedicated to serving the\ncommunity. They know there is no greater service a man can render than to save the\nlife of another.\nThis is why I said at the outset that there is and should be a natural\nfeeling of pride here tonight. I personally am delighted to be here to tell you\nmen how very proud I am of you.\nYou graduates, as you begin your chosen work, can be proud in the knowledge\nthat except for you your fellow citizens of Grand Rapids would be in greater danger\nand might very well suffer or die. You can be proud in the knowledge that you are\nselect men, men selected because of your special qualifications, men who have\nvolunteered to risk your lives for others.\nThe public safety. Another way to say it is peace in the streets.\nWe hear a lot about peace these days. But what peace is more important to\nthe American citizen than peace in his own back yard and peace out on the street\nin front of his home? You are the keepers of the peace. There is no job more\nimportant.\nYou know it constantly amazes me that there are some Americans, badly\nmisguided Americans, who call policemen fascists.\nThe truth is that fascism will only come to America if there is a complete\nbreakdown of law and order, with the American people demanding a tight and brutal\ncentralization of governmental authority in order to ensure their own bodily safety.\nSo you will be serving as front line troops against fascism.\nFascism is hateful. It is the complete antithesis of democracy. It is\nsynonymous with the creation of a national police force.\nTo the extent that local citizens help their local policeman do his job they\nare erecting a barrier against fascism --- against the creation of a national police\nforce. And the ridiculous revolutionaries who pelt police with rocks and bottles\n(more)\n-3-\nare creating situations which could lead to the very oppression they falsely\ncomplain of.\nMembers of the Congress are anxious to help strengthen local law enforcement.\nAt the same time, they are taking every precaution against the creation of a\nnational police force.\nThat is the reason Congress approved the Law Enforcement Assistance Act,\nwhich provides Federal aid to the states and local communities on the basis of\ncomprehensive state plans for fighting crime.\nMichigan is receiving an increasingly large slice of Federal funds under\nthis Law Enforcement Assistance Act. In fiscal 1969 our allocation was $1,732,820.\nIt grew to $8,580,000 in fiscal 1970 and will climb to an estimated $15,521,000 in\nfiscal 1971.\nSo we are roughly doubling the amount of Federal assistance for local law\nenforcement this year. And we should also remember that the Law Enforcement\nAssistance Act requires the states and local communities to match Federal grants\nwith additional funds of their own. The result is that new resources for crime-\nfighting are increased by large increments but the basic responsibility for\nprotecting the public safety remains where it belongs -- at the local level.\nThe Law Enforcement Assistance Act offers a real opportunity for improvement\nin local crime-fighting --- for new ideas, new techniques and new equipment. In the\nfinal analysis, the success of the program will depend upon how well local police,\nthe courts, the correction agencies and state and local governments respond to\nthe opportunity.\nThere are still other opportunities to step up and improve the war against\ncrime. There currently is a drive in progress to move 13 major anti-crime bills\nsponsored by the Administration through the Congress of the United States.\nI personally will not give up the effort to enact this legislation until\nthese bills have passed the House of Representatives, have received the final\napproval of both the House and Senate, and have been sent to the President for his\nsignature.\nThe Congress in this session must act affirmatively on bills which would\ngive the Department of Justice new legislative tools to go after organized crime\nand a better legislative vehicle for dealing with the problem of narcotics. These\nare matters of the highest priority for this Congress.\nI am a co-sponsor of these bills but it is not from pride of sponsorship that\nI speak. I firmly believe that this legislation is a matter of the greatest urgency.\n(more)\n-4-\nCrime control is a complex affair. As you very well know, the job does not\nend with an arrest. What is involved is a highly complicated process, including\nprosecution, trial, sentencing and, hopefully, rehabilitation in prison.\nWe are making progress in one legislative area. We are all aware that the\ncrime crisis has caused a virtual breakdown of criminal justice in America.\nNationwide our courts are clogged with criminal cases, and the backlog has grown\nto mountainous proportions.\nI am pleased to point out that on June 2 Congress cleared legislation which\nprovided for 58 new permanent Federal judgeships and three temporary judgeships.\nThis should help eliminate some of the large backlog of pending Federal cases.\nNationally the backlog of criminal cases more than doubled in the last\ndecade although the number of cases filed remained relatively stable. The main\nreason was the new emphasis on rights of defendants, flowing from U.S. Supreme Court\ndecisions. This lengthened the time needed to handle the average case.\nI personally agree with Justice Hugo L. Black that the Supreme Court in the\nlast several years has hobbled law enforcement by insisting upon justice-defeating\nprocedures which unduly favor accused criminals.\nWe must attach far more importance to convicting the lawbreaker than to\nassisting his efforts to \"beat the rap.\" Fortunately the tenor of Supreme Court\ndecisions in recent months has changed for the better with the changed makeup of\nthe court.\nWe have also made great progress in our efforts to move against organized\ncrime. You may recall that the President recommended the creation of 20 Strike\nForces of prosecutors and investigators to wage all-out war against organized\ncrime. Thirteen of those Strike Forces now are on duty at strategic locations\nthroughout the country and the other seven will be established soon.\nThere has been a marked upturn in indictments and prosecutions of key\nsyndicate figures. There have been dramatic developments in the war against\ndope -- such as the recent nationwide raid in which 139 persons in 10 different\ncities were arrested. That was the largest Federal narcotics raid in the history\nof this country. It is estimated that the ring involved handled 30 per cent of\nall heroin sales in this country and 75 to 80 per cent of all cocaine sales.\nThis progress is being made despite the failure of Congress to date to\npass such vital anti-crime legislation as the Organized Crime Control Act. We could\nmake greater gains if such legislation were enacted, and I personally believe that\nthe pressure of public opinion will bring about the passage of the Organized Crime\n(more)\n-5-\nControl Act before Congress adjourns this year.\nIn large measure, organized crime flourishes because its members can too\nseldom be brought to justice. The Organized Crime Control Act will help in bringing\nthe chieftains of organized crime to book.\nI expect Congress to approve measures which will:\nGive the Justice Department authority to enter any community and shut down\nillegal gambling operations.\nPrevent racketeers from using illegally obtained money to invest in or take\nover legitimate businesses operating interstate and allow the use of such antitrust\nweapons as forfeiture of financial interest in case of violations.\nMake it a Federal crime for local law enforcement officials to protect\ngambling operations.\nElicit more testimony from arrested racketeers by providing for immunity from\nprosecution -- thereby making the Fifth Amendment plea against self-incrimination\ninapplicable --- where the information would do more to hurt organized crime than\nwould the prosecution of the individual.\nAllow for the use in evidence of written statements from persons who might\notherwise refuse to give information for fear of their lives.\nProvide for stiffer-than-usual sentences -- up to 30 years in prison -- in\ncases of continuing felonious activity, a proposal aimed at leaders of organized\ncrime and other professional lawbreakers.\nSo help is on the way. We at the national level are determined to do\neverything in our power to supplement the efforts of local law enforcement agencies\nin the war against crime.\nBut no matter how many laws we in the Congress pass, the basic job of\nkeeping the peace rests with you men.\nYou will make our communities safe and guard our liberty against the\ninvasions of anarchy and the invasions of central power.\nAs you discharge your duties, there are some among our citizenry who will\ncall you names.\nI feel sure you will not lose your cool when you consider that what the\nletters P, I, and C really stand for are Pride, Integrity and Guts.\nYou are professionals now -- far more so than in the old days when the role\nof the law enforcement officer was simply to preserve the peace, prevent crime and\napprehend the criminal. Now, in addition to the demands of his inherent role as\na law enforcement officer, the policeman finds himself involved in the delicate\n(more)\n-6-\nfields of human relations and community relations. I personally feel that we in\nGrand Rapids can rely on your judgment and discretion.\nI think I speak for the entire community when I say you have our active\nsupport and our respect. We know that you will serve faithfully in your duty\nposts. We know that you will give the people of this community the kind of service\nof which you and they can be proud. I, for one, am grateful -- and on behalf of\nall of the people of Grand Rapids, I thank you. Congratulations!\n# # #\nAN ADDRESS BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.\nAT GRADUATION EXERCISES OF THE GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., POLICE ACADEMY\nAT UNION HIGH SCHOOL\nGRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN\n8 P.M. FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1970\nFOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY\nMr. Superintendent, members of the 1970 graduating class of the Grand Rapids\nPolice Academy, their families and friends:\nAs we meet here tonight we are all filled with a feeling of pride. It is\na\nnatural feeling, a justifiable feeling, one that traces to a knowledge of\naccomplishment and of prospective community betterment.\nThe members of this graduating class have completed a course of rigorous\ntraining. They are now equipped to begin an important and arduous task -- that of\nprotecting the public safety.\nIn the words of the ancient Romans, \"The people's safety is the highest\nlaw.\" In my view, there is no job more vital than that of being a guardian of the\npeople's safety. It is a most important trust.\nWe have in our national constitution a Bill of Rights, the first ten\nconstitutional amendments, which became effective Dec. 15, 1789. Nearly 13 years\nearlier the State of Virginia adopted a Bill of Rights which is the father of all\nAmerican bills of rights.\nThe Virginia Bill of Rights declared: \"Government is, or ought to be,\ninstituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation\nor community; of all the various modes and forms of government, that is best\nwhich is capable of producing the greatest degree of happiness and safety, and is\nmost effectually secured against the danger of maladministration. #1\nWe in America are concerned about safeguards against corruption and\noppression in government, and we have legislated to the end that the people shall\nbe protected against such maladministration. We are also concerned, and rightfully\nso, with the public safety and the proper administration of justice.\nThe members of this graduating class will assist in the achievement of one\nof government's most vital functions -- that of attaining the highest possible\ndegree of public safety.\nThe lot of the policeman has always been hard. It is particularly difficult\ntoday when social forces are at work that increasingly involve the police in crowd\n(more)\n2-\ncontrol and in peace-keeping. This subjects officers of the law to a wide variety\n1\nof verbal and physical abuse.\nAs you go about your peace-keeping tasks, please remember that for every\ndetractor and revolutionary who shouts foul names at you there are thousands of\nWe\nare\nsupporters who are grateful for your efforts and God that there are still\nmen today who are courageous enough to stand between the constructive law-abiding\ncitizen and outright anarchy.\nThe overwhelming majority of the 200 millions of people in the United States\nadmire you and are keenly aware of the dignity of your work.\nThey know your work is meaningful and that you are dedicated to serving the\ncommunity. They know there is no greater service a man can render than to save the\nlife of another.\nThis is why I said at the outset that there is and should be a natural\nfeeling of pride here tonight. I personally am delighted to be here to tell you\nhow very proud I am of you.\nYou graduates, as you begin your chosen work, can be proud in the knowledge\nthat except for you your fellow citizens of Grand Rapids would be in greater danger\nand might very well suffer or die. You can be proud in the knowledge that you are\nselect men men selected because of your special qualifications, men who have\nvolunteered to risk your lives for others.\nThe public safety. Another way to say it is peace in the streets.\nWe hear a lot about peace these days. But what peace is more important to\nthe American citizen than peace in his own back yard and peace out on the street\nin front of his home? You are the keepers of the peace. There is no job more\nimportant.\nYou know it constantly amazes me that there are some Americans,\nbadly\nmisguided Americans who call policemen fascists.\nThe truth is that fascism will only come to America if there is a complete\nbreakdown of law and order, with the American people demanding a tight and brutal\ncentralization of governmental authority in order to ensure their own bodily safety.\nSo you will be serving as front line troops against fascism.\nFascism is hateful. It is the complete opposite of democracy. It is\nsynonymous with the creation of a national police force.\nTo the extent that local citizens help their local policeman do his job they\nare erecting a barrier against fascism -- against the creation of a national police\nforce. And the ridiculous revolutionaries who pelt police with rocks and bottles\n(more)\n-3-\nare creating situations which could lead to the very oppression they falsely\ncomplain of.\nMembers of the Congress are anxious to help strengthen local law enforcement.\nAt the same time, they are taking every precaution against the creation of a\nnational police force.\nThat is the reason Congress approved the Law Enforcement Assistance Act,\nwhich provides Federal aid to the states and local communities on the basis of\ncomprehensive state plans for fighting crime.\nMichigan is receiving an increasingly large slice of Federal funds under\nthis Law Enforcement Assistance Act. In fiscal 1969 our allocation was $1,732,820.\nIt grew to $8,580,000 in fiscal 1970 and will climb to an estimated $15,521,000 in\nfiscal 1971.\nSo we are roughly doubling the amount of Federal assistance for local law\nenforcement this year. And we should also remember that the Law Enforcement\nAssistance Act requires the states and local communities to match Federal grants\nwith additional funds of their own. The result is that new resources for crime-\nfighting are increased by large increments but the basic responsibility for\nprotecting the public safety remains where it belongs -- at the local level.\nThe Law Enforcement Assistance Act offers a real opportunity for improvement\nin local crime-fighting -- for new ideas, new techniques and new equipment. In the\nfinal analysis, the success of the program will depend upon how well local police,\nthe courts, the correction agencies and state and local governments respond to\nthe opportunity.\nThere are still other opportunities to step up and improve the war against\ncrime. There currently is a drive in progress to move 13 major anti-crime bills\nsponsored by the Administration through the Congress of the United States.\nI personally will not give up the effort to enact this legislation until\nthese bills have passed the House of Representatives, have received the final\napproval of both the House and Senate, and have been sent to the President for his\nsignature.\nThe Congress in this session must act affirmatively on bills which would\ngive the Department of Justice new legislative tools to go after organized crime\nand a better legislative vehicle for dealing with the problem of narcotics. These\nare matters of the highest priority for this Congress.\nLINKLETTER\nI am a co-sponsor of these bills but it is not from pride of sponsorship that\nI speak. I firmly believe that this legislation is a matter of the greatest urgency.\n(more)\n-4-\nCrime control is a complex affair. As you very well know, the job does not\nend with an arrest. What is involved is a highly complicated process, including\nprosecution\ntrial\n/\nsentencing\nand,\nhopefully,\nrehabilitation\nin\nprison.\nWe are making progress in one legislative area. We are all aware that the\ncrime crisis has caused a virtual breakdown of criminal justice in America.\nNationwide our courts are clogged with criminal cases, and the backlog has grown\nto mountainous proportions.\nI am pleased to point out that on June 2 Congress cleared legislation which\nprovided for 58 new permanent Federal judgeships and three temporary judgeships.\nThis should help eliminate some of the large backlog of pending Federal cases.\nNationally the backlog of criminal cases more than doubled in the last\nCrime\ndecade although the number of cases filed remained relatively stable. The main\nreason was the new emphasis on rights of defendants, flowing from U.S. Supreme Court\ndecisions. This lengthened the time needed to handle the average case.\nI personally agree with Justice Hugo L. Black that the Supreme Court in the\nlast several years has hobbled law enforcement by insisting upon justice-defeating\nprocedures which unduly favor accused criminals.\nWe must attach far more importance to convicting the lawbreaker than to\nassisting his efforts to \"beat the rap. \" Fortunately the tenor of Supreme Court\ndecisions in recent months has changed for the better with the changed makeup of\nthe court.\nWe have also made great progress in our efforts to move against organized\ncrime. You may recall that the President recommended the creation of 20 Strike\nForces of prosecutors and investigators to wage all-out war against organized\ncrime. Thirteen of those Strike Forces now are on duty at strategic locations\nthroughout the country and the other seven will be established soon.\nThere has been a marked upturn in indictments and prosecutions of key\nsyndicate figures. There have been dramatic developments in the war against\ndope -- such as the recent nationwide raid in which 139 persons in 10 different\ncities were arrested. That was the largest Federal narcotics raid in the history\nof this country. It is estimated that the ring involved handled 30 per cent of\nall heroin sales in this country and 75 to 80 per cent of all cocaine sales.\nThis progress is being made despite the failure of Congress to date to\npass such vital anti-crime legislation as the Organized Crime Control Act. We could\nmake greater gains if such legislation were enacted, and I personally believe that\nthe pressure of public opinion will bring about the passage of the Organized Crime\n(more)\n-5-\nControl Act before Congress adjourns this year.\nIn large measure, organized crime flourishes because its members can too\nseldom be brought to justice. The Organized Crime Control Act will help in bringing\nthe chieftains of organized crime to book.\nI expect Congress to approve measures which will:\nGive the Justice Department authority to enter any community and shut down\nillegal gambling operations.\nPrevent racketeers from using illegally obtained money to invest in or take\nover legitimate businesses operating interstate and allow the use of such antitrust\nweapons as forfeiture of financial interest in case of violations.\nMake it a Federal crime for local law enforcement officials to protect\ngambling operations.\nElicit more testimony from arrested racketeers by providing for immunity from\nprosecution -- thereby making the Fifth Amendment plea against self-incrimination\ninapplicable --- where the information would do more to hurt organized crime than\nwould the prosecution of the individual.\nAllow for the use in evidence of written statements from persons who might\notherwise refuse to give information for fear of their lives.\nProvide for stiffer-than-usual sentences -- up to 30 years in prison --- in\ncases of continuing felonious activity, a proposal aimed at leaders of organized\ncrime and other professional lawbreakers.\nSo help is on the way. We at the national level are determined to do\neverything in our power to supplement the efforts of local law enforcement agencies\nin the war against crime.\nBut no matter how many laws we in the Congress pass, the basic job of\neach\nkeeping the peace rests with you\nYou will make our communities safe and guard our liberty against the\ninvasions of anarchy and the invasions of central power.\nAs you discharge your duties, there are some among our citizenry who will\ncall you names.\nI feel sure you will not lose your cool when you consider that what the\nletters P, I, and G really stand for are Pride Integrity and Guts.\nYou are professionals now -- far more so than in the old days when the role\nof the law enforcement officer was simply to preserve the peace, prevent crime and\napprehend the criminal. Now, in addition to the demands of his inherent role as\na law enforcement officer, the policeman finds himself involved in the delicate\n(more)\n---6---\nfields of human relations and community relations. I personally feel that we in\nGrand Rapids can rely on your judgment and discretion. you and broadly triend in\nI think I speak for the entire community when I say you have our active\n7x\nLAW\nsupport and our respect. We know that you will serve faithfully in your duty\nDPEOPLE to\nPEOPLE\nposts. We know that you will give the people of this community the kind of service\nof which you and they can be proud. I, for one, am grateful - and on behalf of\nall of the people of Grand Rapids, I thank you. Congratulations!\n# # #\n10 capies to Mr. Ford only\nOffice Copy\nAN ADDRESS BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.\nAT GRADUATION EXERCISES OF THE GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., POLICE ACADEMY\nAT UNION HIGH SCHOOL\nGRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN\n8 P.M. FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1970\nFOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY\nMr. Superintendent, members of the 1970 graduating class of the Grand Rapids\nPolice Academy, their families and friends:\nAs we meet here tonight we are all filled with a feeling of pride. It is\na most natural feeling, a justifiable feeling, one that traces to a knowledge of\naccomplishment and of prospective community betterment.\nThe members of this graduating class have completed a course of rigorous\ntraining. They are now equipped to begin an important and arduous task ---- that of\nprotecting the public safety.\nIn the words of the ancient Romans, \"The people's safety is the highest\nlaw.\" In my view, there is no job more vital than that of being a guardian of the\npeople's safety. It is a most important trust.\nWe have in our national constitution a Bill of Rights, the first ten\nconstitutional amendments, which became effective Dec. 15, 1789. Nearly 13 years\nearlier the State of Virginia adopted a Bill of Rights which is the father of all\nAmerican bills of rights.\nThe Virginia Bill of Rights declared: \"Government is, or ought to be,\ninstituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation\nor community; of all the various modes and forms of government, that is best\nwhich is capable of producing the greatest degree of happiness and safety, and is\nmost effectually secured against the danger of maladministration.\"\nWe in America are concerned about safeguards against corruption and\noppression in government, and we have legislated to the end that the people shall\nbe protected against such maladministration. We are also concerned, and rightfully\nso, with the public safety and the proper administration of justice.\nThe members of this graduating class will assist in the achievement of one\nof government's most vital functions -- that of attaining the highest possible\ndegree of public safety.\nThe lot of the policeman has always been hard. It is particularly difficult\ntoday when social forces are at work that increasingly involve the police in crowd\n(more)\n-2-\ncontrol and in peace-keeping. This subjects officers of the law to a wide variety\nof verbal and physical abuse.\nAs you go about your peace-keeping tasks, please remember that for every\ndetractor and revolutionary who shouts foul names at you there are thousands of\nsupporters who are grateful for your efforts and thank God that there are still\nmen today who are courageous enough to stand between the constructive law-abiding\ncitizen and outright anarchy.\nThe overwhelming majority of the 200 millions of people in the United States\nadmire you and are keenly aware of the dignity of your work.\nThey know your work is meaningful and that you are dedicated to serving the\ncommunity. They know there is no greater service a man can render than to save the\nlife of another.\nThis is why I said at the outset that there is and should be a natural\nfeeling of pride here tonight. I personally am delighted to be here to tell you\nmen how very proud I am of you.\nYou graduates, as you begin your chosen work, can be proud in the knowledge\nthat except for you your fellow citizens of Grand Rapids would be in greater danger\nand might very well suffer or die. You can be proud in the knowledge that you are\nselect men, men selected because of your special qualifications, men who have\nvolunteered to risk your lives for others.\nThe public safety. Another way to say it is peace in the streets.\nWe hear a lot about peace these days. But what peace is more important to\nthe American citizen than peace in his own back yard and peace out on the street\nin front of his home? You are the keepers of the peace. There is no job more\nimportant.\nYou know it constantly amazes me that there are some Americans, badly\nmisguided Americans, who call policemen fascists.\nThe truth is that fascism will only come to America if there is a complete\nbreakdown of law and order, with the American people demanding a tight and brutal\ncentralization of governmental authority in order to ensure their own bodily safety.\nSo you will be serving as front line troops against fascism.\nFascism is hateful. It is the complete antithesis of democracy. It is\nsynonymous with the creation of a national police force.\nTo the extent that local citizens help their local policeman do his job they\nare erecting a barrier against fascism -- against the creation of a national police\nforce. And the ridiculous revolutionaries who pelt police with rocks and bottles\n(more)\n-3-\nare creating situations which could lead to the very oppression they falsely\ncomplain of.\nMembers of the Congress are anxious to help strengthen local law enforcement.\nAt the same time, they are taking every precaution against the creation of a\nnational police force.\nThat is the reason Congress approved the Law Enforcement Assistance Act,\nwhich provides Federal aid to the states and local communities on the basis of\ncomprehensive state plans for fighting crime.\nMichigan is receiving an increasingly large slice of Federal funds under\nthis Law Enforcement Assistance Act. In fiscal 1969 our allocation was $1,732,820.\nIt grew to $8,580,000 in fiscal 1970 and will climb to an estimated $15,521,000 in\nfiscal 1971.\nSo we are roughly doubling the amount of Federal assistance for local law\nenforcement this year. And we should also remember that the Law Enforcement\nAssistance Act requires the states and local communities to match Federal grants\nwith additional funds of their own. The result is that new resources for crime-\nfighting are increased by large increments but the basic responsibility for\nprotecting the public safety remains where it belongs -- at the local level.\nThe Law Enforcement Assistance Act offers a real opportunity for improvement\nin local crime-fighting -- for new ideas, new techniques and new equipment. In the\nfinal analysis, the success of the program will depend upon how well local police,\nthe courts, the correction agencies and state and local governments respond to\nthe opportunity.\nThere are still other opportunities to step up and improve the war against\ncrime. There currently is a drive in progress to move 13 major anti-crime bills\nsponsored by the Administration through the Congress of the United States.\nI personally will not give up the effort to enact this legislation until\nthese bills have passed the House of Representatives, have received the final\napproval of both the House and Senate, and have been sent to the President for his\nsignature.\nThe Congress in this session must act affirmatively on bills which would\ngive the Department of Justice new legislative tools to go after organized crime\nand a better legislative vehicle for dealing with the problem of narcotics. These\nare matters of the highest priority for this Congress.\nI am a co-sponsor of these bills but it is not from pride of sponsorship that\nI speak. I firmly believe that this legislation is a matter of the greatest urgency.\n(more)\n-4-\nCrime control is a complex affair. As you very well know, the job does not\nend with an arrest. What is involved is a highly complicated process, including\nprosecution, trial, sentencing and, hopefully, rehabilitation in prison.\nWe are making progress in one legislative area. We are all aware that the\ncrime crisis has caused a virtual breakdown of criminal justice in America.\nNationwide our courts are clogged with criminal cases, and the backlog has grown\nto mountainous proportions.\nI am pleased to point out that on June 2 Congress cleared legislation which\nprovided for 58 new permanent Federal judgeships and three temporary judgeships.\nThis should help eliminate some of the large backlog of pending Federal cases.\nNationally the backlog of criminal cases more than doubled in the last\ndecade although the number of cases filed remained relatively stable. The main\nreason was the new emphasis on rights of defendants, flowing from U.S. Supreme Court\ndecisions. This lengthened the time needed to handle the average case.\nI personally agree with Justice Hugo L. Black that the Supreme Court in the\nlast several years has hobbled law enforcement by insisting upon justice-defeating\nprocedures which unduly favor accused criminals.\nWe must attach far more importance to convicting the lawbreaker than to\nassisting his efforts to \"beat the rap.\" Fortunately the tenor of Supreme Court\ndecisions in recent months has changed for the better with the changed makeup of\nthe court.\nWe have also made great progress in our efforts to move against organized\ncrime. You may recall that the President recommended the creation of 20 Strike\nForces of prosecutors and investigators to wage all-out war against organized\ncrime. Thirteen of those Strike Forces now are on duty at strategic locations\nthroughout the country and the other seven will be established soon.\nThere has been a marked upturn in indictments and prosecutions of key\nsyndicate figures. There have been dramatic developments in the war against\ndope -- such as the recent nationwide raid in which 139 persons in 10 different\ncities were arrested. That was the largest Federal narcotics raid in the history\nof this country. It is estimated that the ring involved handled 30 per cent of\nall heroin sales in this country and 75 to 80 per cent of all cocaine sales.\nThis progress is being made despite the failure of Congress to date to\npass such vital anti-crime legislation as the Organized Crime Control Act. We could\nmake greater gains if such legislation were enacted, and I personally believe that\nthe pressure of public opinion will bring about the passage of the Organized Crime\n(more)\n-5-\nControl Act before Congress adjourns this year.\nIn large measure, organized crime flourishes because its members can too\nseldom be brought to justice. The Organized Crime Control Act will help in bringing\nthe chieftains of organized crime to book.\nI expect Congress to approve measures which will:\nGive the Justice Department authority to enter any community and shut down\nillegal gambling operations.\nPrevent racketeers from using illegally obtained money to invest in or take\nover legitimate businesses operating interstate and allow the use of such antitrust\nweapons as forfeiture of financial interest in case of violations.\nMake it a Federal crime for local law enforcement officials to protect\ngambling operations.\nElicit more testimony from arrested racketeers by providing for immunity from\nprosecution -- thereby making the Fifth Amendment plea against self-incrimination\ninapplicable --- where the information would do more to hurt organized crime than\nwould the prosecution of the individual.\nAllow for the use in evidence of written statements from persons who might\notherwise refuse to give information for fear of their lives.\nProvide for stiffer-than-usual sentences -- up to 30 years in prison -- in\ncases of continuing felonious activity, a proposal aimed at leaders of organized\ncrime and other professional lawbreakers.\nSo help is on the way. We at the national level are determined to do\neverything in our power to supplement the efforts of local law enforcement agencies\nin the war against crime.\nBut no matter how many laws we in the Congress pass, the basic job of\nkeeping the peace rests with you men.\nYou will make our communities safe and guard our liberty against the\ninvasions of anarchy and the invasions of central power.\nAs you discharge your duties, there are some among our citizenry who will\ncall you names.\nI feel sure you will not lose your cool when you consider that what the\nletters P, I, and C really stand for are Pride, Integrity and Guts.\nYou are professionals now -- far more SO than in the old days when the role\nof the law enforcement officer was simply to preserve the peace, prevent crime and\napprehend the criminal. Now, in addition to the demands of his inherent role as\na law enforcement officer, the policeman finds himself involved in the delicate\n(more)\n-6-\nfields of human relations and community relations. I personally feel that we in\nGrand Rapids can rely on your judgment and discretion.\nI think I speak for the entire community when I say you have our active\nsupport and our respect. We know that you will serve faithfully in your duty\nposts. We know that you will give the people of this community the kind of service\nof which you and they can be proud. I, for one, am grateful -- and on behalf of\nall of the people of Grand Rapids, I thank you. Congratulations!\n# # #"
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