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i we Feceenjecnant ernie came rate dit nena FOR mony months the American public hes bean fracted to haie-tgising drama through the courtery of a government "agency. The curtain raiser has filled many fosdinafing news segments on television and in the other media, The drama has off the intrigue of a Jomes Bond movie. The ators ave government employees and the broad outlines of the script were prepared by a gevernment agency. The dramatic series is titled ABSCAM. The production was the work of the Federal Boreau of tnvestigation. The plot wos simple. Dongle cash before elected officials fo test whether o $56,000 payoff will secuse some promise of political favor. The soup opera involved the vental of wo swank Washington, D.C., home elabontely equipped with secret cameras and recording devices; luxyri- aus-hatel suites, o plush 62-foot yacht and on extensive cost induding about 100 FRE agents. The results were anything but coniplimentory te Congress orcomforting te the public which chose certain officials: The televised scenes of congressmen stuffing money inte their pockets and. using a vocabulary characteristic. of X-rated movies was sot edifying. It certainly dramatized the danger of electing officials on the basis of chorsisma and promises rather than on. character and performance, Butthe entire ASSCAM operation rises serious questions: Should the FRI pour its resources into such. on effer!? Are there more pressing prisrities? Ik the whole idea of devising honesty fests for offizinis and citizens good palicy? Does the game approach official entrapment? The FBI is responsible for enforcing federal laws. It has 7,400 special agents and operates on a budget approaching $1 billion. Under longtime director J. Edgar Hoover FA emphasis wos on espionage, bank robberies and organized crime. Since | William H. Webster became bureau chief in 1976 it hos given prominance to so-volled white-collar crime, ABSCAM was part of this new offensive, But while the FBI was focusing its energies on ABSCAM the country experienced the sharpest rise in crime in four years. The latest annual statistics released by the agency show that crime rose by 9.1%, Violen? crime was up 1196, Forcible rape * increosed by 14.2%: robbery by 12%; aggravated assault by 10.1%; and murder by 9.3%. At the some time arrests for such crimes failed to keep op with the rise in crime statistics, Arrests increased by only 3%. No orresis were mode in 75% at the robberies; 84% of the motor vehicte thefts; 0556.0f the burglaries; 81% of the larceny thefts; $2% of the forcible rapes: 4156 of the aggravated assaults; aad 27% af the murders. The rising crime rate is anything but encouraging. A recent report on crime sponsored by A-T-O Inc. pointed a gloomy picture of o U5, citizenry paralyzed by fear. The study was based on interviews with mere than 3,000 randemly selected people. The fear af crime is alarmingly pervasive, affecting the Yeung and the old, the peor and the affluent, men. and women, the rural ond the urban. This pervasive fear is changing the American people from an open, gracious and _ Generous society into @ closed, aiiidiad and consiricjed soclety, octerding fo the study. we Do we want a Federal = _ Bureav of Instigation? In view of the alarming increase in violent crime and the dreadful effect this is having on society, why dees the official federal ogency instituted te fight aime spend its resources on ABSCAM escapades? Sheuld the bureay instigate os well as investigate cima? U.S, District Gourt Judge John P. Fullem hes seid “Nel” bo the last question and has overturned ihe conviction af two ABSCAM victims. Twe members af the Philadelphia City Council were found guilty of extortion by a federal jury. But Fullam, who presided at the trial, reviewed the verdict and everiumed it, He declared the FRI had overstepped the bounds of propriety. “The evidence establishes entrapment,” ke stated. “Ne one who bor viewed the videotaped evidence in this cose would avoid feelings of distress and disgust of the crass behavisr the tapes revenied. The jury's verdict represents a nafural human rection ta that evidence. “Buf, in the dong run, the rights ofall citizens wet te be led inta crimine? activity by governmental overreaching will remain secure onty so fong os the courts stand ready fe vindicate thase rights in every cose.” Whether ox not the judge’s decision will be sustained on eppeal remains a question. Some current instructions jo the jeey define entrapment cs. on instonce in whieh law- enforcement officers have “induced or persuaded an yniwill- ing person ta carmmilfian uniawdtul act." But these instructions ales point out that “where o person is predisposed to commit en offense — that is, ready and willing to vielote the law —the fact that government agents merely afford an opper- tunity for bierete dose does nef constitute entrapment.” The whole question ef terpiing people inte crime is touchy. One paint is haw hig should the temptation be. fn ASSCAM the cash bait opparently was limited te $50,000, And some individuals indeed refused the bait. But suppose it were eiised fo $160,000. Then to $500,006. Then ta $1 million. Perhupste $16 raillion: An ofd maxim says: Ha mon resists tempiation it generally is. not because he le strong but because the femptotion is weak. ts it really in the public interesf for the government to run a testing lob to. see how much temptation cifizens can withstand? Do we want a Federal Bureay of instigation? Another delicate issue Is whe should be selected for the ‘government temptation fests. The FBE insists fhat the ASSCAM victims fell naturally info its net because they had underground reputations fer accepting bribes, Bul once the antkemen? poiiern is.sel it easily could be steered toward political opponents. This has become the standard procedure in totalitarian regimes. Temptation. started in the Garden of Eder when Satan dongled the “opple of knowledge" before Eve. in the Lord's proyer Christians plead with their Heavenly Father not te be led infe fempiation. Nh would seam that a government, allegedly concermed with human rights; could grant citizens the same favor and not dangle before them the alluring apple zoneived by the evil genius of hell, COLUM A ngs sented (oscars sinner pes inane ieee eff Nae i SR a in