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Page 4 IHE PANTHER November 5, 1979 Photo by Ly Benson Brown Lectures At BY MICHAEL H_ COTTMAN Panther News Editor Atlanta’s city elected of ficials “should have the courage” to persuade the Georgia General Assembly to implement a law that would allow the Atlanta Police Department to have sole con trol over the proliferation of hand guns, according to Atlan ta’s Public Safety Com missioner. Dr. Ijee P. Brown was the keynote speaker at Clark College recently as he ad dressed students forthefirstin a series of Crime Prevention Forums sponsored by the Clark College chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Brown told a small, but interested group of students that the way in which handguns are distributed in the Atlanta area could be at tributed to the increase in the city’s homicides. Brown added, curbing the sales of handguns could serve as one tool in an effort to curtail Atlanta’s rising crime, can’t depend on the police to solve all the problems. We do not have all of the resources to do the entire job.” In the midst of Atlanta’s ris ing crime rate, Georgia State Scott Informs Future Journalists College is a total experience and students should learn as much as possible while in school, said an Atlanta Journal reporter recently to a reporting class at Clark College. Peter Scott, an education writer for the Journal since 1972, told the students thatthe newspaper business is for those who are serious and that there is a lot of hard work ahead.' Scott cited problems in the Atlanta University Center <AUC) to he a lack of student inputinto various publications on campus. “There are enough people right herefin this class) to turn the AUC upside down,” he said. “Join your college newspaper staff - it’s your res ponsibility to write stories and it’s the best wa v to perfect your BY CHARLES ANDERSON Panther Layout Editor skills. “At Georiga State,” Scott continued, “there are white stories that are being picked up by regular papers.” Scott said there is so much happening in communities but “people aren’t making things happen.” He said white dailies, in an attempt to improve their coverage of the black com munity, often send white reporters to cover black news and they tend to be over- generous. “Sometimes I find myself identifying something black when there is no significance,” said the veteran reporter. “You can not do your job trying to carry the burden of your whole nice.” Scott said one problem black reporters must overcome is meeting deadlines. He added that most papers have a probationary period to give a reporter a chance to “learn whatever needs to be learned. “I went to a daily white paper with a lot of ideas,” Scott said, “but I wasn’t worried so much about the black com munity and whether it received adequate coverage. “It worries me to go to a paper and because you’re black, what you say is sup posed to be considered,” he added. Scott said his role at the Journal is “sometimes two fold.” “Today,” Scott said for instance, “I may be pulled off into some assignment that I’m not really familiar with. But if I keep abreast of news in general, I can handle someth ing else.” Workshops Scheduled The Atlanta University Center’s NAACP Chapter is sponsoring five workshops Nov. JO — Dec. 2. Five workshops in the areas of education, government, political action, employment and the organization of College Chapters will be led by Student Activists of the 60’s. Crime Rate Continues To Escalate BY JOYCE CALDWELL Panther Reporter Crimes such as robbery, murder, and rape, are steadily increasing in the city of Atlan ta. For this reason, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity sponsored a Rape Crisis Seminar, during the month of October in Davage Auditorium. Those persons involved in the seminar included I^ee P. Brown, commissioner of Public Safety in Atlanta; Dr. Cynthia B. Jenkins of Spelman College’s Family Planning Center; and Coloua Bonds, a representative from the Rape Crisis Center at Grady Hospital. According to Public Safety Commissioner Lee P. Brown, these crimes, occurring in Atlanta, are nationwide. FBI statistics prove that Atlanta’s crime rate increased 29 percent over the same three month period last year. These statis tics also justify an increase of 24 percent in DeKalb, 60 percent in Savannah, 27.5 percent in New Orleans, while the Nation’s Capital increased a full 24 percent. • Commissioner Brown said that crime is not just a problem of the police, hut a community problem. He emphasized the fact that policemen and people in the community must work together to solve the problems confronting the community. Commissioner Brown said. “Blacks suffer greater from crime than whites. Blacks are more susceptible of being the victims and the accusers.” In most instances, blacks are kill ing each other, and many are friends who love each other. In a recent incident, a man shot his mother and sister. The reason for this particular homocide arose from a dispute over who would drive the family car. Commissioner Brown em phasized the fact that hand guns, as a weapon, are used excessively in crime. Ijocal pawnshops require a person to be 21 years of age to purchase a gun. For this reason, an escapee from a men tal institution killed someone in the streets of Atlanta during the month of October. Dr. Cynthia Jenkins, of the Spelman F’amily Planning Center, suggested that a system be developed to control the possession of guns. Commissioner Brown suggested that suspicious people be reported. One may call the Public Safety hotline at 659-COPS, and report in formation anonymously. The key to safety is awareness; therefore, one must learn to protect himself against crime. Coloua Bonds, a represen tative from Grady Hospital’s Rape Crisis Center, suggested tips that must be instituted in one’s lifestyle; . Always check your car and surroundings before getting in. 2. Do not advertise the fact that you live alone, i.e., The Boston Strangler found 200 women just by looking on their mail boxes. 2. Keep shades drawn when you are alone at home. 4. Carry a can of active mace in your purse. Active mace is an aerosol that causes tem porary blindness. 5. Scream fire instead of rape; some will witness a fire, hut no one will witness rape. Clark Troopers were given the as signment of patroling the city’s streets for a two month period. But as of Sunday last week, Governor George Busbee decided to withdraw these of ficers . Apparently, Brown did not agree with Busbee’s action. “I requested that the troopers stay on,” Brown said. “They were needed, but that was the Governor’s decision.” Brown, who said the troopers “did a good job” while patroling the city, said Atlan ta’s crime would not rise due to their absence. Although Brown could not elaborate on a firm figure for the next police pay raise, he did say however, he was in favor of police officers receiving higher wages. “Our police officers do a fine job, and I continue to advocate police pay raises,” Brown said. Brown suggested the API) should have the authority to control gun sales. He added by taking this measure, Atlanta’s growing homicide rate may be lessened. Brown, who said this duty currently rests in the hands of the General Assembly, said it is the responsibility of city of ficials to initiate such changes. Brown said the majority of crimes in the Atlanta area are predominately black - on - black related incidents, adding “poverty and unemployment” are two key factors that cart be attributed to the city’s violent mishaps. “We’re killing each other,” Brown charged. “We need to return to placing more value on a life rather than a piece of property.” Brown said there are no sim ple solutions to the crime problem, adding he feels “more community involvement” will assist Atlanta police in solving this city-wide dilemma. 6. Dress comfortably, in the event you have to run. 7. Install a 180° peep-hole, so that a person may be viewed at a sizeable distance. Ms. Bonds stressed the fact of remaining calm, so that one may flee if that chance arises. In the event you are raped, do not bathe or douche. Do not change clothes within 48 hours of the occurrence. Confused, or need answers to unsolved questions, call the Rape Crisis Center’s hotline, 659-RAPE.