DIY History | Transcribe | Social Justice | Student protests, 1972-1973 | 1972-05-18 Daily Iowan Article: ""'Early prevention cured UI unrest'""

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Student protests, 1972-1973

1972-05-18 Daily Iowan Article: ""'Early prevention cured UI unrest'""

DI 5/18/72

'Early prevention cured UI unrest'

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)- The Iowa Highway Patrol learned last week in Iowa City that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," Patrol Chief Howard Miller said this week. 
"The 'ounce of prevention' was moving in sooner than we had in earlier demonstrations." he explained in an interview. "before the trouble really got started"
Although some lawmen termed the distruction during the several days of demonstrations the worst in Iowa City history, there generally was praise for the way peace officers handled the situation. 
As officers carried out a previously decided policy of preventing formation of large groups of youthful demonstrators, one professor from the University of Iowa was heard to remark, "it seems the patrol has learned a thing or two about crowd control since the last demonstrations."
Several hundred students from the university and others caused considerable damage in demonstrations during April 1971. 
Miller said the patrol, on too many occasions has arrived at the scene of civil disorder when damage had already been done. 
"We wouldn't care less if they want to demonstrate," he said "as long as it's in a peaceful manner."
Equating the April 1971 disorders with those last week, the highway patrol leader said. "Selfishly the demonstrations this year weren't so bad. The tax upon officers was less. We didn't have the rock throwing." that characterized confrontations one year ago. 
He recalled that 42 state troopers were injured by flying rocks and bricks in 1971 and only three were hurt this year. 
Robert Holetz, an assistant to Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sellers said Miller has been handling civil disorders "since the year one"
In response to a question about whether the character of disorders seems to be changing. Miller said the demonstrators didn't seem to have changed over the years. 
He said it appeared that the "eight or 10 hard core leaders" in last week's Iowa City disorders, "had no defined objectives" and found it difficult to keep demonstrators interested in demonstrating.

'It seems the patrol has learned a thing or two about crowd control since the last demonstrations'

"It was evident to me," he said, "that persons in the crowd who sympathized with the reasons for the demonstrations went away when the the rough stuff started."
He said it appeared that most people in the group of 300 or so demonstrators" agreed in principle, but not methodology."
Miller - who said he deeply respects today's youth - recalled he mingled with the demonstrators. "I was in full uniform, but I never feared for my personal safety. They've never attacked an officer individually before and they didn't do it last week"
He said he was able to carry on brief discussions with some of the young people. "I asked them how do you correlate the peace and love that you say are your aims with all the distruction of privately owned property?
Demonstrators smashed windows in at least 30 Iowa City business places last week. 
The highway patrol colonel said he was very pleased with the outcome of an experiment in cooperative law enforcement that was conducted because of the demonstrations. 
Holetz explained lawmen from the Iowa City police department, the nearby Coralville police. Johnson County sheriff's deputies UI security officers and the patrol set up a command center two months ago to cope with the possibility of spring demonstrations. 
He said officials of those governmental units had signed a formal agreement now on file with the secretary of state that established an Emergency Operations Board. 

"If the governor assigns Department of Public Safety personnel to Iowa City in large numbers," Holetz said "the public safety commissioner or his designee (Miller) is in charge of law enforcement."
Holetz pointed out the arrangement in effect last week marked the first time the patrol was in complete command of officers from many different agencies. 
The patrol assigned 200 officers - half the state trooper complement - to Iowa City during the demonstrations And the move will prove costly in an administrative sense.
The demonstrations "will screw up our operations for quite some time." Miller said "It's going to take us at least one month to get untangled."
He explained many of the officers missed days off and worked long hours. Miller noted that no overtime is paid but it will be at least one month before the patrolmen are able to use up the days off to which they're entitled and schedules return to normal.

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DI 5/18/72 'Early prevention cured UI unrest' DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)- The Iowa Highway Patrol learned last week in Iowa City that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," Patrol Chief Howard Miller said this week. "The 'ounce of prevention' was moving in sooner than we had in earlier demonstrations." he explained in an interview. "before the trouble really got started" Although some lawmen termed the distruction during the several days of demonstrations the worst in Iowa City history, there generally was praise for the way peace officers handled the situation. As officers carried out a previously decided policy of preventing formation of large groups of youthful demonstrators, one professor from the University of Iowa was heard to remark, "it seems the patrol has learned a thing or two about crowd control since the last demonstrations." Several hundred students from the university and others caused considerable damage in demonstrations during April 1971. Miller said the patrol, on too many occasions has arrived at the scene of civil disorder when damage had already been done. "We wouldn't care less if they want to demonstrate," he said "as long as it's in a peaceful manner." Equating the April 1971 disorders with those last week, the highway patrol leader said. "Selfishly the demonstrations this year weren't so bad. The tax upon officers was less. We didn't have the rock throwing." that characterized confrontations one year ago. He recalled that 42 state troopers were injured by flying rocks and bricks in 1971 and only three were hurt this year. Robert Holetz, an assistant to Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sellers said Miller has been handling civil disorders "since the year one" In response to a question about whether the character of disorders seems to be changing. Miller said the demonstrators didn't seem to have changed over the years. He said it appeared that the "eight or 10 hard core leaders" in last week's Iowa City disorders, "had no defined objectives" and found it difficult to keep demonstrators interested in demonstrating. 'It seems the patrol has learned a thing or two about crowd control since the last demonstrations' "It was evident to me," he said, "that persons in the crowd who sympathized with the reasons for the demonstrations went away when the the rough stuff started." He said it appeared that most people in the group of 300 or so demonstrators" agreed in principle, but not methodology." Miller - who said he deeply respects today's youth - recalled he mingled with the demonstrators. "I was in full uniform, but I never feared for my personal safety. They've never attacked an officer individually before and they didn't do it last week" He said he was able to carry on brief discussions with some of the young people. "I asked them how do you correlate the peace and love that you say are your aims with all the distruction of privately owned property? Demonstrators smashed windows in at least 30 Iowa City business places last week. The highway patrol colonel said he was very pleased with the outcome of an experiment in cooperative law enforcement that was conducted because of the demonstrations. Holetz explained lawmen from the Iowa City police department, the nearby Coralville police. Johnson County sheriff's deputies UI security officers and the patrol set up a command center two months ago to cope with the possibility of spring demonstrations. He said officials of those governmental units had signed a formal agreement now on file with the secretary of state that established an Emergency Operations Board. "If the governor assigns Department of Public Safety personnel to Iowa City in large numbers," Holetz said "the public safety commissioner or his designee (Miller) is in charge of law enforcement." Holetz pointed out the arrangement in effect last week marked the first time the patrol was in complete command of officers from many different agencies. The patrol assigned 200 officers - half the state trooper complement - to Iowa City during the demonstrations And the move will prove costly in an administrative sense. The demonstrations "will screw up our operations for quite some time." Miller said "It's going to take us at least one month to get untangled." He explained many of the officers missed days off and worked long hours. Miller noted that no overtime is paid but it will be at least one month before the patrolmen are able to use up the days off to which they're entitled and schedules return to normal.