Women gain acceptance on Lawrence police beats
By JOHN FULLER
At a high school football game last fall,
two young men showed a Lawrence police
offense.
Another officer at the scene quickly noticed the team she was leading one of the youngest in her booklet.
The incident wasn't that unusual except that the officer doing the tackling was a civilian.
Suttit is one of a growing number of American women being placed on patrol between the dawn and dusk.
IN THE PAST, women were hired by police departments to do jobs for which they were supposedly better suited than men. They worked as counselors to juveniles and rape victims, and as secretaries, dispatchers and matrons in tails.
These are important jobs, and some women are still doing them, but many other women have decided that they want out of the station and onto the streets.
Suitt said last week that she had been a
secretary for the KBI for six years before she decided to apply for a job as a patrol
"I didn't like desk work and I didn't like being cooped up in the office all the time," she said. "I've been interested in law enforcement for a long time and I wanted to get out and see what it was like on the streets."
Suit, who is one of two female patrol officers on the Lawrence Police Department, has been on the force about three years.
SHE WAS THE FIRST woman patrol officer to be hired by the department but she said she faced none of the harassment or obstacles that women have faced in some departments. She said the officers had had to deal with issues they were now supportive and encouraging.
One of the long-standing arguments against women on patrol has been that they spend long hours on patrol alone except for a male partner, supposedly too
much of a temptation for the man or the woman.
"I heard a lot of rumors at first about jealousy and jealousy, but I tried to meet as many of them as possible and explain what was going on," he said. "I pretty much solved the problem," she said.
Other traditional objections to women on patrol duty include: They aren't physically able to handle a large number with violent situations; and they would require more back-up support than male officers.
These objections are proving to be false now that there are about 3,000 females on patrol duty in the United States, about two per cent of the 160,000 patrol officers in the U.S.
A study released in 1974 by the Police Foundation in Washington, D.C., discounted almost every objection to women on patrol. It compared 86 male officers to 86 female officers from the Washington, D.C., police force and little difference in their abilities.
Women and men were similar or equal in the number of arrests they made that resulted in conviction, the amount of back-up space required, and the number of on-duty injuries.
Little difference was found in the officers' abilities to cope with violent or potentially violent situations or their attitudes toward the public.
MANY EXPERTS THINK that women may even have an edge over men when coping with potentially violent situations. Instead of meeting aggression with more agility, they usually officers do. women often try to talk things out and cool the situation off, the experts say.
"I don't think a woman agitates people with her voice like a man often does," said the KU Police Department's only female officer, Jane Longaker." I've found it to be trickier than can often defuse a situation without resorting to force, as a man sometimes would."
Sutt said how officers handled violent situations depended on the individual
She said one of the interesting aspects of answering domestic quarrels with a male officer was that the women involved would automatically think they had an ally in the female officer while the men would think they were so stupid that she would usually try to talk to them, but she showed that she wasn't prejudiced, while the patrolman would talk to the woman.
because she knew many male officers who showed great restraint during quarrels and
Studies indicate that many offenders will attack a carolist because it is considered harmless to them, and it gives them a chance to vent their way out of the situation of authority. Policewomen might avoid such assaults because many of these same offenders consider it cowardly to attack a carolist.
That didn't stop one man from shooting and killing a policewoman in Washington, however. Gall Bob became the first policewoman in Washington to duty when the she man she was chasing through
an underground garage, turned and shot bar.
As Kari Schmitt said, "People don't like to get arrested," who's at the center of who's not. They just don't.
Schmitt was hired last fall as a deputy on the Douglas County Sheriff's Department. She is the only female deputy on the department's patrol force.
LIKE SUITT, SHE had to undergo the same training as the male officers at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center at Hutchinson. Schmitt said she that she was the only women in her class but that she had the same calisthenics, shoot the same weapons, and subject some subjects as the men. The only difference was that she had her own shower and room.
Schmitt said life as a policewoman was quite as glamorous or exquisite as the shows she did in the 1980s. She patrols alone and most of her duties routine. She tickets traffic violators, in-
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
See POLICEWOMEN page 3
KANSAN
Monday, March 1, 1976
The University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas
Vol.86 No.97
Cagers, trackmen both defeated by two points
See stories pages 6 and 8
Staff photo by DAVE CRENSHAW
Nichelle (L. Ulhur) Nichols listens as De Forest (Dr. McCoy)
Kelley addresses a gathering of "Star Trek" fans over the
'Star Trek' stars
weekend in Kansas City, William (Capt. Kirk) Shatner also made an appearance.
1,500 beam in for Star Trekon
"Faurs on stun," directs Mike Kelcy, research associate in human development KU, at the Sirk Tremkron beast was a star The Tremkran since 1966.
Faser
Bv JOHN P. THARP
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Quoting "Sta-Trek" scripts, disputing Starrship trivail and flashing the Vulcan hand salute for peace and prosperity, 150 starry-evel Trekkies got together for a star-laden, "Star Trek" convention here over the weekend.
The three-day long convention, called Star Trek 76 for the fans (Trekies) of the "Star Trek" television series was highlighted by the appearances of series characters (Capt. Kirk, DeForest Keller (Dr. McCoy) and Nichole Nichols (Lt. Unrury).
Science fiction films and reels of "Stark Trek" episodes were shown until early morning hours. Hard-core fans attended these showings and panel discussions and speeches given by the three stars. Many of the speeches for their collections.
AN ART SHOW of original paintings and sketches of "Star Trek" scenes was another attraction. The highlight of the art show was the 2016 production built by 18-year-old Lyle Vanseliver, Ms. Van Slover said he spent six months and more than 800 hours constructing the $300 model. A National Mert Scholar winner program down the award to enlist in the Air Force.
Trekies spent the days at the Radisson Mueblebach Hotel browsing through the appropriately named "hucksters room," which exhibited a collection of shirts, books, uniforms, decals, records, bluprints and manuals and a 78's working model faser.
WHEN ASKED ABOUT the similarity between the Star Trekon and the upcoming *Star Trek* on HBO, Mr. Reid said:
Upon receiving it, Shatner glanced at it and said, "be this thing glowing?" It gotta be some kind of radiance.
Kansas City Mayor Charles B. Wheeler gave a short welcoming speech Friday and Saturday at the event.
The model was identical to another, presented to Shatner at the end of his speech.
"I picked the Air Force's avionic sensor systems program because 'Star Trek' inadvertently
Most Trekkie figures they would spend $20 in the "huckster room," the main attraction for the souvenir-hungry fan. They are the top-selling fan, followed by books.
The Trekkeres ranged in age from a 5-year-old child to 74-year-old Ehlstein Christenson, who came from Grinnel, Iowa, for the convention. Christenson, white hairied and carrying a walking cane, said she's been reading science fiction since she was 12. She is about the cancellation of the series and the unavailability of reruns in Iowa.
viously they both have the very same grass roots in appearance."
Langley, the head of Langley and Associates, the first company to market "Star Trek" souvenirs, he attended about 10 conventions a year and had the opportunity to view the most dedicated Trekkies.
A costume ball Saturday night gave Trekkies a chance to portray their favorite characters, who showed up as Enterprise crew members of alien life forms were present, complete with blue skins, green skins, combination of red and grey skins and some with pointed antennae.
B. J. Langley, a 25-year-old memorabilia salesman, said, "You've got a clientele that are feeding a fantasy and are spending any amount of money to do it."
"I know it a 'Bible book, but why the devil don't they run 'Star Trek' in the Midwest?"
"Yeah, it is an escape thing, but like going to Disneyland, which is founded around a mountain."
MIKE KELLY, research associate in human development at the University of Kansas, was clad as a chief security officer. Kelly said it was his third convention and he watched "Star Trek" since 1966, enjoying the adventure and the themes in the shows.
"THE STRANGEST thing Ive ever seen is two guys try to kill each other with swords. They were both masquerading as Kirk," he said.
See STAR page 5
Starship crewmen wore beltside faser models and communicators.
Bv CONRAD BIBENS
Staff Writer
Drought damages wheat
The absence of dark clouds on the horizon could mean stormy times ahead for Kansas
A widespread drought threatens this year's wheat crop, Tom Roberts, president of the Wheat Improvement Association in Manhattan, said Friday.
The drought, which could badly affect the Kansas economy, is centered in about 39 to 45 counties in the south central and southwest northes of the state. Roberts said.
"It is affecting a good share of the western third of Kansas," he said.
In the last 30 years, Kansas has averaged a yearly rainfall of 7.24 inches, Roberts said. In 1975, Kansas had only 8.6 inches, 77 per cent of the average annual rainfall.
In 1975, the southwestern part of the state received 56 per cent of the annual rainfall rate, and the south central part received 64 per cent.
This lack of moisture is hard the wheat crop radially and may signal hard times for the plant.
"It's a tragic loss," Roberts said. "Many farmers have federal crop insurance and can stand a bad year. But a certain amount will go by the wavers."
Last year, Kansas wheat farmers produced 816 million bushels. This year, he said, only 660 million bushels are expected by state agricultural experts.
Many farmers must plow under their dying wheat crop to protect their top soil against the erosion caused by strong winds, be said.
ROBERTS SAID THAT THE 660 million figure was down 110 million bushels from the year before.
This plowing brings bigger dirt clods to the surface that can better withstand the wind. If the soil is blown away, it could cause the field for several years, Robert said.
Recent dust storms in western Kansas and other parts of the Midwest have reminded some of the Dust Bowl years of drought, light and high winds ruined many farms.
"But I don't think it'll get bad," he said. "We have better farming techniques today."
'Conpersonas' wins in contest
Paul Stephen Lim just might have it made.
At 1 p.m. (EST) today, he will officially become the winner of this year's original script competition of the American College Theatre Festival (ACTP).
Lim, Lawrence graduate student, wins the award for his play, "Conspirators," which will be presented along with six other works by Lyman. The performers in the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Ronald Willis, professor of theatre and Lim's teacher, said the ACTP program was one of the best opportunities in the country for young students to be produced and judged by national critics.
Winning means that Lim also receives $2,500; the right to have his play published by Samuel French, a play-leasing company; membership in the Dramatais Guild of America; and the option to be represented by the William Morris Agency.
"I'm very, very excited," he said yesterday. "Forward, the best prize in the whole line-up is being represented by me." They're the biggest agency in the field.
"Before, I sent my scripts to people and they just sent them right back. Most people won't even look at your work unless you are with an agent."
SOME OF THESE techniques include stripping a bike with a tractor carrying an attachment called a chisel, which digs a deep furrow every three to four feet. This action creates "S"-shaped ridges that provide a wind break.
Another method is listing, a practice of digging constant ditches in a field with a rotary hoe attachment. This method isn't as useful because it disrupts the soil, Roberts said.
Some farmers are using irrigation to protect their crops, but this process is too expensive for many, he said. Most farmers depend on water for the wheat for the plantation season next fall.
Some farmers are replanting their wheat now to be harvested late, Roberts said, and others are planting replacement crops, such as sorghum.
THE DROUGHT AFFECTS other states besides Kansas, Losses for wheat crops are expected in Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska, he said.
Despite these losses, Roberts said that prices for bread and other products made of wheat shouldn't go up very much. Wheat grown in most eastern states and western states such as Wyoming and South Dakota, is expected to produce an excellent yield.
Reasons for this include better weather conditions, and especially more rain. Kansas farmers grow hard winter wheat, which has more protein and resistance to adverse weather conditions than the soft winter wheat grown in the East. But this
advantage won't help in a prolonged drought, he said.
Roberts said he expected only small losses in the national wheat yield figures this year, even with the big losses projected in the Midwest.
WEATHER IS THE determining factor in wheat prices, Ron Turbull, director of public relations for the Kansas City Board of Trade, said.
The prices for any kind of grain can vary in a short space of time but the amount of wheat that can be harvested and shipped that condition is a good guide. Turnbull said.
A bushel of wheat presently costs about
$4.08, less than it was a year ago, be said
"WE'RE AT THE EGE of disaster." Sam Rowe, Sumner county agriculture agent, said. "But if we can get some rain the next two weeks we may be all right."
“这 drought doesn't mean wheat prices are going to the moon.” Turnbull said.
Since Dec. 3, there has been only four tenths of an inch in Summer county, tilted to the west.
"Our biggest problem, though, is no mention of army cutworms," she said. "I think we need to know more."
Rowe said the insects would eat wheat on a certain level if the wheat grows better in that region.
"More of our wheat dies every day," he said, adding that the county's crop is expected to be down 50 per cent from 175 and 180 in previous rain may go down as much as 50 per cent.
Head On
Staff Photo by JAY KOELZER
On most Sunny mornings, an international group of students and other soccer enthusiasts gather on the playing fields east of Robinsons Gymnasium. On this occasion, players from around the world participate in a team-building activity.