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think you were a good borough president. I voted for you and supported you. I answered those polls you used to send me. I got people to rally around you. But, Mr. Sutton, I don't think you're a good public official anymore. I got to tell you, Mr. Sutton, that we need help and we need it desperately. They're killing us up here in Harlem - Mr. Sutton. Our own black people are killing us."

The lady said much more, and although she was normally a mild lady, her language was a lot less polite than that reproduced above. The audience, a roomful of proven Sutton supporters, gave a rousing vote of approval with hand-clapping and cries of agreement.

"What was your answer?" I asked Sutton.

"I have the answer," he replies confidently. "Primarily, that's why I am motivated to run for mayor. A mayor who believes in peace and justice. Justice must be swift but thorough, fair but firm. We must come to that point where the rights of the victim must be as highly regarded and respected as meticulously as the rights of the accused. But justice must be invoked to reduce all crime. Not only the crime of the burglar who ransacks an apartment, but also the crime of the landlord who undermines human health by failing to give sufficient heat to tenants in apartments. Not only street-crime, but white collar crime. Ir I am elected Mayor, I propose to lead a crusade against all crime and I know how to lead that crusade effectively."

"Anyone knows that no one person can resolve the crime problem. Certainly, as a borough president I couldn't. I've done what little I could do personally. I became a member of the auxiliary, volunteer police and did my turn patrolling at night. But I want to do a lot more - that is, I want to persuade the people of this city that they are the ones who can help. I want to get neighborhoods into motion. I want to lead a moral crusade to make people realize that they can help deal with crime on a street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood basis. I believe there are thousands of New Yorkers who would rise nobly to the challenge to work together for peace and justice - to work together. I want to restore to this city the large contingent of armed police who have been laid off because of economic strees. I want to bring about massive movement for progress in this area. I see neighborhood organizations cooperating. I see an expansion of something already begun on a token basis - teen-agers escorting elderly people to shop or to senior citizen centers. I see - on a widespread basis - the Operation Whistlestop concept where when suspicion of robbery exists or crime is in action, we will have people in the neighborhoods blowing their whistles with no individual being afraid because he knows that when his neighbors hear his whistle, they'll blow their own. I see the suspicion and hostility of police toward auxiliary police as some kind of scabs disappearing because my administration will make a deal - a cooperative deal under which, as volunteer, auxiliary police persons accept duty, we will re-hire police who have been laid off. In this, the most significant city in America, the people have lost their will. They need concerned, caring, inspired leadership and I am prepared and willing to give it to them."

"Sounds fine," I said, "But we both know that even this plan alone can't solve the problem. How will you move to improve the economic situation, the joblessness, conditions in schools, the welfare abuse, all those many factors which contribute to crime conditions. In other words, what makes you think you're such a Daniel that you can slay the giant sickness which pervades our city?"

"I've got lots of ideas and plans which I think can be effective," Sutton answers. "I know it is impossible for one man - mayor or not - to solve the problem of this city. What must be addressed is the problems of the cities. In other words, now that we have a national administration which seems to care, we have got to realize that we cannot be selfish. We have to move to solve the problems of cities of America. It's got to be a cooperative thing. A successful Mayor of New York, in this stressful time, has to be willing to be an activist on the national scene."

In this area Percy Sutton has real strength, he has been activist nationally in the past few years and has the admiration and respect of members of Congress and mayors of cities - not only black legislators or mayors. He would use this rapport to join them in seeking to advance the cause of New York and other troubled cities in the nation.

[[image - black and white photograph of Percy Sutton and other men at a ribbon cutting ceremony]]
[[caption]] There are always ceremonial duties - like ribbon cutting. Here, Percy Sutton participates in official opening of housing project. [[/caption]]


[[image - black and white photograph of Percy Sutton and Police Commissioner Codd, seated in front of bookshelves]]
[[caption]] Crime will be one of major concerns in Sutton bid for Mayoralty. Here he talks with Police Commissioner Codd.[[/caption]]

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