
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 17, 1991                   TAG: 9103170066
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK                                LENGTH: Short

POLLS SHOW AMERICANS AWARE OF POLICE BRUTALITY

Two news magazines released polls Saturday showing most Americans believe there is significant police brutality against minorities nationwide, but few think it happens very often in their community.

A Newsweek poll of 763 people taken Thursday and Friday found 62 percent said there is "very great" or "considerable" police brutality around the country.

A Time-CNN poll of 500 people Wednesday found 9 percent think police use violence against private citizens in their community "very often," 13 percent "fairly often" and 48 percent "on occasion."

The polls came as Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates came under increasing pressure to resign. Community and civil rights groups charge he sanctioned a racist atmosphere in which white officers seriously injured a black speeding suspect March 3 in a beating captured on videotape.

Three out of seven people in the Time poll said they think the clubbing was racially motivated. Half said Gates should be held responsible for the conduct of his officer, but only 15 percent said Gates should resign over the incident.

The Newsweek poll phrased the question differently, asking whether Gates should remain in office; 32 percent said yes, 45 percent said no.

The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points for Newsweek's poll and 4.5 points for Time-CNN's.

by CNB