The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-02-05
Police Reform.

GENTLEMEN OF THE POLICE COMMITTEE:
With all due respect to you, gentlemen, and your
suggestions, tor the improvement of the police any
idea (whie such mOmentous question is abroad),
however humble, may tend towards perfection. As
such the writer of the present article hopes that
some grains may be selected that will assist in form
ing police on principles that wilnot only bring Of
tenders to punishment, but will also use sufficient
exertion TO prevent crime, which prevention we
opine is the greater desideraum
We propose that sliding scale shall be used, j. e.
grades OF office. For instance, we would form
classes; the first or highest should have very hand
some salary; the second twenty-five per cent less
the third fifty per cent less Chan the highest); the
fourth and last seventyfve per cent less than the
first, to witt
For argument, will suppose the high.
est fixed at one hundred dollars, 500
The second would be Is
The third would be so
The fourth would be %
Then according to the merit of the officers, and
the degree OF energy displayed, they should be ee
waited to the different classes in the following man.
ner: The officers should on no pretence what
ever succeed to higher class, l. e. from the fourth
10 the third under tive years service OF faithful
tesrlty, and then from the third to the second under
live years more OF irreproachabe service, and from
The second to the first, or highest, under seven
years; and it after attaining the third or second
class, one well sustained charge OF bribery or NAL
practice was made against them, they should be re.
dnced to the fourth, to undergo the same terms of
elevation but after said Malpractice, never to at
tain the first or highest class and upon second
well sustained charge of bribery and corruption be
dismissed the service altogether.
The above rough sketch may be objected to on
grounds First, that the efficient officers now
employed could not start with the novices in the
fourth class. We would meet that objection with
placing them in the third class, and allowing them
TO attain the second by three years of faithful and
unbrbed service subject TO be reduced the fourth
class upon well sustained charges of malpractice,
and only to attain the first highest upon faithful
service of seven wears in the second but not then
If hv ms acfIc lev had hep yadu tn
fourth.
The second objection may be the expense TO the
city, IN giving such high salaries, but as Preven-
ton is better than cure" few thousand dollars
year ought not to be taken into consideration when
the prevention of crime is the object be attained
Ii by preventing the growing classes from shining,
only ore soul shall be saved from everlasting perdi-
ton, that one ought to be and is. above all consde
ration OF dollars and cents and while we profess to
be moral and religious people, shall we raise
question OF such minor import against that of eter-
nal salvation!
We would also suggest that the highest, or first
class OF salaries could not he obtained in less than
ten years, even by our present police officers; in the
meantime, sinking fund could be appropriated to-
ward the additional twenty five per cent salary,
which salary should be such scale that it should
be worth mans patient service to obtain
AS, OF course this is only rough idea of the plan.
we will at present abbreviate it, remarking that in all
the classes we should have leaders, directors with
superiorPrlvileges; and then again we should have
over and above the first, or highest class, grand
head, composed of least three persons to be elect
ed to that office for life by their superior capabil
ties and fitness for such an important office. Again,
we would suggest, that if possible such strange
anomaly as eecting men to Office, independent of
politics or political party, could take place. that, as
regards the police, They should be entirely free from
that great incubus of good and wholesome govern
ment.
In paying come attention in the criminal courts,
we find that nine-tenths of the offenders have been
either players at faro purchasers OF lottery tickets
and policies, and have gotinto dcultiesin trying to
obtain means to carry out this maddening excite
ment. We think that one grand step toward the
decrease OF crime would be TO do away with the in
centive.
From the constant intercourse of the officerswith
rogues, they must of course look upon crime with
less horror than the majority of the community Is
then to be wondered at, that they have sympathy
for them, more especially when backed with a roll
OF notes; we are not to suppose, because they are
officers, they are not men; and while civilizations
greatest pride is wealth. they the officers, of course
will make money; but we do suggest that by hold
ing out to them, that handsome fixed salary is at
ainsble by strict integrity they will at any rate
only induced to accept such brides are not often
paid or offered
PUBLICoLA.