New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-01-11
THE P0LICE-DISORGANIZA TION

WIN, the uubfc REQUIRE Ud expect Of the depart
mept il gam The subject Of discussion in your indie
peudent and valuable paper. AZ al humble member
Of The department propose in this communication
20 state ou fscs throw out some suggestions ana e
The public form th.r opinion a. 20 what measures
are L,t circulated 10 reform n abuses Of VII en- tie
c,:izeis Of New Yorl go justly conplain.
IL the Gln place it mey be well 10 state that orr
fellow Is pect us TO refrm almost every wrong
land fbey are .egionJ which affects this tax-rdien
L;ty. 1lese embrace crmes Of al kipds street IN
ounbranccs, public health, ard, N fact everything
tbht is il urOus to the pubic.
lam cute confident we might be Of much greater
service han We really are, but the ovils, in many in
stance ore orgenic and require an alteration OF the
system. ~ stall eDdeavor TO shoy as briefly a pos
,ble Wbtn The Department was fret organize the
Cap'angwtre street Infp ctOrt Heath ardens, FIe
WaideIs and Dockmostere 20 be sloed snd assisted
nv their Assistant Captains, Sergeant and policemen
For several ytsIs the C1ptsius were held personally
responsible 10 the CHI who 10 bis turn ~ds re-pon-
bic TO the MAYOR, for the manner IN w.ch su % dltes
were peifOrhtd II reutered il neces ary therefore,
{nY hun r. take such measures would beet insure
the carrying out If the letter AID spiri' Of toe Law
n. ilan accepted AZ the time experience proved -
be the uost o ctuHl-aa3 that was the selection OF
member of c7ch District TO net espe tally In the
cfp,ciiy Of Street Inspector, Heath Warden, Ftre
" aIdtB, aDd Dock Master. Tins, you viii p-r;elve,
did OF take away III lie least the persona response
iiliiy of the captain from hls superior officers hu
rather afforded them gicattr ana surer idchtlc' ~
the officers acting for them we're merely as9ofs su1
jeci 10 oil the rGles and regulations OF the Depart
ment, snd on neglect of duty on the part OF ehder
Of .he aboy e-u6med Inspectors, complaint was sure
10 be- blouahf the Station lloUGe by the OH or on
beat who in his turn, the c'tzers would complain Of
IL tie nuisance not aoaed. Here, You perceive.
was complete chain Of resprnslOllty. The Chei to
The Ma,oI Captain to the Chief and BIZ subordnates
TO h,m md al NJ der the jealous eye Of onr fellow
cirizeis Tbis system was becoming perfected when
III, hsr efu il tu,nCo Of politics MAZE An Innovation
md laid u open TO the censure OF he press aud or
fellow citizens leaving rs without The IAeaus 70 re-
dress the public. o, eur own wrODcs.
In6eed we some tiIsee thought the cu-so OF Cam "a
upon US. "O Our hand against every MAJ, aud every
mai banC o, sinst 10. line dat Of + re Nasiens
was fret 'CsiOvtd from the DeQari neat, neX' TIE
Health Wartous 80 re 90 give Or W. lie TIE then
CITY Inspector ~ new officers a. saltry Of $500
hbe 5000 per sDuum, snug 6rtt. And AZ the Ht re-
lion Of the Police Low 10 April ls1J street lospee-
tors sOe taken from the Department. i.1y1g 0ny TO
Tie Captains fhe power ~ al as notk hastersi ana
have no doubt thot that Office too would have been
taken ON us if there there had been - ick Depafl
M, IT. Iakirg from the Police the oihoe and du''eS
Of Strso nslector has perhaps done more INJURY 20
The public ~ large than either Of the other ms ecor
hin, O. their cuties we've more mGtiarluui ana more
d.r,.ily under the eye of the public The reasOss
fro plan and supple. lp the fire., place, D. sas neces-
,srv 10 select o man Of ht,lllCence, s)brieY, and
genilem .uly depOrneut, and one who would devote
an bis leisur. time in mskrg hinsof a,qua Ged with
me City Ordinances, So that be would know the best
mems 10 adopt 10 recufy such violations
In our department il must be borne IN mind thai,
Ike all other large bodies of men rather ndlscrimi-
natty sell cied all not oqusy ted for each and
every branch Of our business and this greatly fear
il net thoroughly uud ersood by the heads of the de-
par;moiil one man msy make an excellent Postum,
but quite NJ fitted for Street Inspector or some other
brsnch of the business and these different qualca'
tots Of the members is observed by those who IN.
g. hmm Qfn nd
believe all could be made much more useful If the re.
sponeiDy distributed as to fall upon the right
head, and system could be adopted that would IN
spDe of that general sclcohndeuce and cell re-
lance which, to cay, does not at the present
time exist
Now. in connection with the fact that the law has
tab en- from the Department those lnspeciorships,
DO not with il 10 be understood thai all Resp visibility
of their enforcement is taken with for FREQ
~ receive oroers from the Mayor and Chief % CON
plain Of all violations Of Cooperation ordinances
But il is good deal like bidding the lame 70 walk
the blind 10 see the deaf 20 bear, &c for there are
many instances in which those now actlsg 90 Inspect
ors inform the party complaiDed OF " The Police
have nothing 10 do with such mstGs. This you
perceive has very injurious effect and makes rs
itand in the attitude OF common insmers instead Of
public off ers desirous Of doing out duty. one fict
] wish strongly TO impress upon the public mind Is
the Chief OF Police the first 10 ende8vor 70 have
Street nspt ctors tai fIom the Captains whether
he was fearful il gave them too much influence in
their respective " ards do not pretend t. ssy but
the utility of the is very donb,ful for u loft
theD OILY with the power to report nuisance With
out the n ears TO remove Il. | understand the in
cOmI Commissioner OF trectsaud Lamp Is auNloss
70 nut the streets uncer the superintendent Of the
Police again Let the public answer yes or no.
But there is another evil, that is working siil
more dee er0us effect among US aud destroying the
copfd.rce and mutual esteem that lie so essential 10
lie prevention and detection of crime and am con'
fdent unless il is speedily srrested we will become
a BODY of men watching one another. instead OF
tievt. AZ public property. Oflate, complete sys-
Sn of pioi age and that too, upon one another has
spIurs Up, pe6icstod, l presume, upon the act Of
Apr, 1853 giving to the Chief the power TO call any
ard all the force in cases Of emergency The business
t this IL one can que.ton il properly exercised bs,
from this has hten established what is called the ke'
serve Corps OF from IS Ia 100 men, selected by the
Chef OF course biz friends for certain duties.
Added 10 this there are from 10 10 20 men newly-sp
pointed, who, instead of being immediately sent 10
Their respective districts, are kept drilling at the
Arstna through the day for sn indefinite .ime and
portion OF the night sent into the various Wards 10
"s'eh Tie men on duty and report any dre 'tiou Of
NhsI 'hty conceive TO be dGty, not 10 the Csptans
OF The distnc, but TO the Chief
The very first initiation of these man in the de-s-,
ment is doubts of its member. iute.-ritv snd eensa
queLuy disregard for his now ASSOCIATES This spv
system il mostly cone by members of the Reserve
CORPS, but uncer me eye OF the ne " msn IL j. not
TOO much 10 say that he thsi viii become spy will
10 gain the fev Of his eTplo, er ie or greatly cor
story This has srt SOY e7gef cered deem Eel a.,
Of disirust ard indignation throughout tue depert
nen is contrary 70 the gt Mus of our instita,ion,
and the spirit of the American people. II may ts
necessary IN despotc Aus,ria, Russia end F.snce
vh.re oil power is taken from the people
ard he'd IN the hands of their oppressors, but here
shsTo sbe people supreme, and only ce'egA, The
execution OF the laws 10 officers who are more SER
warts than rulers, amounts 80 an abuse OF al right
power and justice, and the sooner it is done away
with ard confidence and responsibility resto;ed the
sooner will we do duty better, aud hsve whst We