Conversation No. 59-2

Date: June 3, 1971
Time: Unknown after 9:51 am until 11:44 am
Location: Cabinet Room

John R. Shryock met with George A. Murphy, Don R. Derning, Edmund I. Hockaday, Rocky
Pomerance, Richard C. Clement, Ramon M. Nardini, Michael N. Canlis, James H. Young,
Clarence M. Kelley, James B. Conlisk, Jr., Jerry V. Wilson, William E. Kirwan, Edmund L.
McNamara, Wilson E. Speir, Edward M. Davis, Peter J. Pitchess, Joseph J. Casper, Guy F. Van
Cleave, Roman L. Hruska, Richard H. Poff, and Emanuel Celler; the White House photographer
and members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting

     [General conversation/Unintelligible]

The President, J. Edgar Hoover, John N. Mitchell, John D. Ehrlichman, and Egil (“Bud”) Krogh,
Jr. entered at 10:04 am

     Introductions

     [General conversation/Unintelligible]

     Introductions/greetings
                                          2

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/08)



Arrangements for photograph

[General conversation/Unintelligible]

Previous meetings in Cabinet Room

Meeting
     -Attendees
          -Hoover
          -Mitchell
          -Hruska, Celler, Poff, James O. Eastland
          -William M. McCulloch

Recent police killings in New York City and Washington, DC
    -President’s conversation with Hoover and Mitchell

Increasing number of police killed or injured in line of duty
     -Public attitude towards police
     -Need for more public support of police
     -Concern for families of slain policemen
     -Legislative efforts
     -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] assistance to all US law enforcement officials
     -Forthcoming training meeting at FBI
           -President’s schedule
     -Proposed study for federal grants to families
     -President’s support
     -FBI cooperation with local law enforcement officials
           -Assistance of FBI to New York City Police
                 -Black Panther involvement
           -Apprehension of police slayers
           -Pending legislation
           -Measures to prevent police killings
                 -National Academy of FBI curriculum
                 -Recent killings of two New York City policemen
                       -New York City Police Commissioner
           -Feedback from visiting police chiefs
           -Training of visiting police chiefs
     -Administration-sponsored legislation
           -$50,000 death benefit for families of policemen
           -Legislation through Law Enforcement Assistance Administration [LEAA]

Strong Administration support for police and law enforcement
                                             3

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



      -News media
          -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
          -Attorney General
          -Hoover
          -Congress

Killings of policemen
      -Death benefits for widows of survivors
      -Public’s attitude
      -Judges’ attitudes
            -Supreme Court

Administration’s support for law enforcement
    -Effect on police morale

Memorial for policemen killed in line of duty
   -Hoover

Attitudes and skills of policemen today
      -Training

Revolutionary philosophies
    -News media
    -Respect for law and order

Support of Administration for police

May Day demonstrations

Political affiliations of attendees

May Day demonstrators
    -Activities
         -Attempt to halt functioning of Government
    -Cooperation among law enforcement agencies
    -Arrest for disorderly conduct
         -President’s approval of plan
         -Reaction of press and senators
    -Right of protest in Washington, DC
         -Violations of law

Unknown man’s previous election
                                           4

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 10/08)




Liberal Northeast US
     -Boston
          -Handling of May Day demonstrations
          -Public support for police practices
          -News media
          -Police reporter
                -Rewriting of stories by editors
                -Photographs
                      -Use of dogs
          -Civil rights of demonstrators
                -Criticism of police actions
                      -American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU]
                      -Jesuits

Activism of Catholic clergy

Louise Day Hicks

Support for Hoover’s proposal

Bank robbery and students from Brandeis University
     -Parolees at Brandeis
     -FBI cooperation

Los Angeles’ vote to increase police pension benefits
     -Chief Edward Parker
     -By district
          -Thomas (“Tom”) Bradley
          -Councilman William (“Willy”) Mills
          -Socio-economic and ethnic groups

Poff

Virginia crime and police
     -Comments of Julie and [Dwight] David Eisenhower, II

Police officers
     -Death in line of duty
            -Administration’s efforts
            -Prevention
            -Prosecuting of criminal cases before a court
                                           5

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/08)



          -Eliminating plea bargaining of series cases
          -Vigorous prosecution of officer assault cases
                -Prosecutors conviction record in court
                     -Legalization of marijuana
                            -Heroin use
                            -Penalties
     -Verbal and physical assaults on police
     -Courts and reduction of aggravated assault charges
          -Updating of criminal justice system
                -Warren E. Burger
                -LEAA
     -Trying of suspects in court on lesser charges
          -No plea bargaining for assaults
          -Forthcoming meeting with District Attorneys’ Association

Public attitudes and police

Number of criminal cases and plea bargaining

Situation of police
      -Recruiting and retirements

Administration support for police

President’s schedule
     -Reception for police chiefs

Congressional support for police
    -Celler
    -Compensation for families
    -Efforts to make criminal attacks a federal crime

Newspapers and the government
    -Thomas Jefferson
    -Ralph Nader

Congressional efforts to compensate families of policemen

Compensation for firemen

Proposed new criminal code
                                                 6

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                         Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 10/08)



     Mitchell and recent speech in California
          -Wilson’s handling of May Day demonstrations
                -George Putnam
                -President’s comments

     Robert H. Finch’s call to unknown man in California
         -Effect on police morale

     New Administration drug program
         -Duplication of federal agencies’ programs
         -Coordination of federal programs, agencies
              -Ehrlichman
         -Cut-off of dangerous drugs from abroad
         -Treatment of drug abusers
         -Drug education and young people
              -New York City drug-caused deaths

     Forthcoming Judiciary Sub-Committee hearings on drug abuse
          -Krogh

     Drug education
          -Art Linkletter

     Coordination of federal drug abuse programs
         -Davis

     Severe penalties for drug suppliers
          -Mitchell’s efforts

     Presidential message supporting police
          -President’s conversation with Richard J. Daley
          -Letters of commendation for heroic police efforts

     Presidential gifts for visiting police chiefs’ wives

     President’s experiences after law school
          -Application for FBI agent’s job and Hoover

     [General conversation/Unintelligible]

The President, et al. left at 11:44 am
                                               7

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/08)