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It may be convenient but. . .
would Dr. Spock approve?
Citizen board reviews few complaints
against Lincoln Police Dept. officers
By Gail Stork
Although Lincoln's police review board has handled
only one complaint against police this year, chairman Ed
Wimes said the .board is a necessary buffer between the
community and the Lincoln Police Department.
The citizen's board was formed in 1975 despite the
argument that citizens already had the internal affairs di
vision of the police department to hear their complaints,
Wimes said.
He said the seven-member board is there to resolve
complaints that cannot be handled in internal
affairs.
"It (the board) is there in case someone feels they
didn't get a fair shake from internal affairs," said Mike
Merwick, administrative assistant to the mayor.
The board fills a need for a citizens' body looking at
the actions of police, he said. It is a method for resolu
tion of a citizen's complaint by his peers.
Merwick said out of the 200 to 300 complaints
handled this year by internal affairs, only, one, involving
excessive force, needed referral to the review board.
Wimes said the complaint was not resolved because of a
lack of evidence.
However, Wimes said just because the board is not
used often does not mean it isn't needed.
That's like saying there is not a surgeon at the hospital
today because no one thought they would be needing sur
gery, he said.
Merwick said the small percentage of complaints
referred to the review board shows that the internal af
fairs division is doing a good job of handling them and
provides enough information on police actions.
The board is required by ordinance to meet at least
once a year, but Wimes said the members have been
meeting more lately to make procedural changes within
the board.
Wimes said he does not agree with the review board's
closed door and suppressed name policies, but that they
were were majority decisions.
He said it may be important for the public to know if
the same citizen always complains or if a policeman's
name recurs often in complaints before analyzing the
situation. v
It may be only a problem with one citizen or one
officer, but the public currently has no way to tell, Wimes
said.
Wimes' , term expires this year along with two other
board members. Persons to fill the positions will be
appointed by the mayor, Wimes said,
A taxpayer should have a voice in police activity, and
if that is not' the case, "give me my money back," Wimes
said.
"As a citizen of Lincoln, I would like to see it (the
review board) stay. I hope it does, and I think it will."
friday, October 28, 1977 vol. 101 no. 32 lincoln, nebraska
Fees task force meets in first closed-door session
The president's university-wide task force on student
fees met for the first time behind closed doors Tuesday,
barring the press and public."
The committee is meeting to complete a proposal on
the future on NU student fees and must make a final
report to the NU Board of Regents in December. 1
The committee closed the doors to "speed the process
and allow a free range of opinions to be expressed about
different student fee programs," according to committee
chairman Hans Brisch. He said there will be several more
meetings during the next six weeks.
Following Tuesday's meeting, Brisch refused to com
ment on the meeting's proceedings, but did say a
statement would be issued to the press following each
meeting "so the vital information will not be withheld
from students."
Following is the complete text of the statement:
"The meeting was convened at 3:05 p.m. with one
member (a UNMC faculty representative) of the task force
absent due to a prior commitment.
The chairman informed members of the task force that
he had made a presentation on University of Nebraska
Program and Facilities Fees (UPFF) Friday, October 21,
1977, to the Alumni Association board. Dr. Brisch's
remarks were confined to factual matters concerning the
1973 board of regents policy creating UPFFs, rate sche
dules on the various campuses and allocations on the
various campuses.
The chairman of the task force sub-committees gave
summaries of the public hearings on the three campuses.
It was noted that 35 persons testified at UN-L (sic),
8 at UNMC, and 13 at UNO.; Most of those who testified
at the UN-L (sic) and UNO hearings were representatives
or past affiliates Of organizations that receive UPFF
allocations.
The members of the task force started to discuss their
own personal viewpoints on UPFF, voluntary fees, and
user fees. This discussion will be continued at the next
'meeting.
The format for the preparation of the task force's
study was discussed. Tentative agreement regarded the
study format was readied. Members of the task force
agreed to handle the preparation of various points of the
study format and to report back to the task force.
The meeting adjourned at 7:05 pjn.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, November 1 ,
1977, at Regents Hall in Lincoln, Nebraska."
Editors note: No other details of the meeting were available.
Street completion meets obstacles
zzzzzz . ; ,
When you turn in Saturday night, curl up for an
extra hour of sleep.
The clock for daylight savings time runs out at
2 ajn. Sunday, and that means an extra hour of z's
for all weekend revelers. Central Standard Time of
ficially resumes Sunday and that brings sunrise an hour
earlier and nightfall around 6 pjn., rather than 7 p jn.
By Rod Murphy
Unforeseen problems with sewer lines, gas mains
and the weather have contributed to the delay in comple
tion of the downtown street project, according to Tom
Cast, project manager for the city of Lincoln.
Rod Schwartz, deputy city engineer said the contract
with the construction companies specified a $250 charge
be assessed for every day the work was behind schedule.
The total number of days for which they will be pena
lized will be determined when construction is completed.
Allowances for rain and other uncontrollable problems
will be made, he said.
Schwartz said, Aug. J 5, 1977 was the deadline for
completion of the project, excluding planting of trees
and shrubs. Planting is to be completed by May.
Schwartz said he thinks the project will be completed
sometime next spring.
While the work on O Street is complete except for
ninor tree planting and brick work,-the construction at
Que Place has been slowed, Cast said.
Que Place construction includes work on 11th, 12th
and 14th streets north of O Street and part of P Street.
Cast said there were four reasons for the hold up in
the repair work.
The first dealt with old utility lines, including sewer,
gas and water services. Cast said there were no records
of the locations, of these lines, so many were found
unexpectedly.
The lines had to be replaced, Cast said, because of their
age. The utility lines' also caujsed the contractor to change
locations from the ones originally planned, Cast added.
Rain has been another factor in the project's slow pace,
Cast said. The final reason Cast gave was in the contrac
tual requirements; work could only be done on half of
the street at a time,
The best way to do this type of work, he said, was to
get in and get out," like was done on O Street.
Cast said he had hoped the work on 12th and 14th
streets would be finished this fall. If snow or other
weather sets in, however, the streets will be closed tem
porarily for the winter.
Cast said construction north of O Street will continue
for a year.
Construction on 11th Street work will be completed
next spring, he said. Also, plans will be made for work on
P Street between 9th and 14th, and Q Street between 9th
and 17th streets. '
inside friday
Giving eggheads a free ride: UNL considers
full-grant for those who achieve scholastic
merit. .p. 6
Profits not loafing as business rises: Hie Union's
Bakery customers continue to increase in
numbers .p. 6
A regular shoot-out in Cowboy country: The
Big 8s two best runners square off in the
Stillwater Corral . .... ... . .p. 10
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Photo by Bob Paarwn
Downtown street project completion has been held up recently because old utility lines needed replacement.