New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-01-19
THE roLrcE DEPARTMENT.

same excellent observations in regard to the police
department. Of the municipal government Of this city.
TAe Bulletin understands that the Mayor and Chief
of Police have been engaged for time past in
generating the police by Diminishing such as have
| proved themselves unworthy of confidence. This is
certainly praiseworthy move and that the pub
lie interests unquestonably demanded. Perhaps too
much blame has been cast upon the Chief Magistrate
Of the city for the acts Of his subordinates. In the
appointments of his police force he was obliged of
course to rely upon the representations of Others and
both he and they were liable, as all men are, to be
imposedupon. He could only Judge OF the quality of
his men to very great extent by their acts''
/ We have taken the pains to investigate this subject
somewhat minutely The process of "regenerating
the police has been going ever since the present
Mayor was indicted into Office - not for some
(shorD time past Every mans against whom a
charge has been made and sulIstantiated has been
removed. We venture the assertion not single
exception can be found, no matter how searching and
rigid the examination. The Mayor instead of interpos
ing obstacles has solicited the stFictest scrutiny into
the conduct Of the police under his command In
altogether too many instances people lave growed
and grumbled and sought to bring obloquy upon the
Mayor and disgrace upon the police department and
then have refused to vouchsae the smallest amount
of information that would enable the executive of the
corporation to accomplish the proper reform. They
would hold him accountable for eyerybody's sins with
hold from him and his officers every particle OF intel
gence calculated to bring vioators of the law to pun
shent, virtually tie his hands and bandage his eyes,
and then pronounce him inefficient for not seeing and
criminal for not acting %
] Further along the Bulletin says:
the appointment large body certainly
who abuse the confidence rep9sed in them For such abse Of
be justly xous the if he failed
tees BY their acts and 10 dismiss them The moment he Should be
convinced Of their nnworlness TO al the offices assigned to
tive officer q is any other city may show his his
also his Chief may show his fitness for his post
Very true. And if Mayor Waterman has % failed
to use every possible means to learn the true charac
ter of his appontees by their acts, and govern him
self accordingly, he would, indeed be liable to the
"severest censure' That he has done so at the ex-
pense of comfort, convenience and labor every
searcher after truth satisfy himself by short and
simple investigation in the right qsarter. AS the
Bulletin mentions the Chief of Police, We will relate
| what came under our own observation few days
since to illustrate the injustice too often practiced
upon the authorities A well known citizen came up
to the Chief on the street, and told him that while
going home two or three evenings previous he saw
Waterman do that which rendered him unfit for the
position he held Indeed the offence was very gross
one The Chief asked the gentleman to describe the
Waterman, the particular beat, time, place. etc. in
order that he might be promptly dismissed. The
gentleman at first declined didn't want to NEEDLE in
such matters disliked being ''mixed up y in such
affairs the outrage committed by the Waterman was
very grave one etc thought it his duty to tell the
Chief, etc. but couldn't go any further, leaving the
Chief wholly in the dark. The Chief then told him
he had better go to the newspapers, get the Mayor
abused, the Chief censured and the police decried
Whereupon, the gentleman, ashamed of himself, gave
the necessary Information and the offending officer
was salmarily removed. As it was in this case, 50
will it be in all other cases. assured if citizens
will only communicate with the Mayor Chief in a
manner that will enable them to act Neither
the Mayor or the Chief can be everywhere and see
everything in large city like this. Why withhold
from them information and then hold them account.
able for not doing that which is physically and
morallyimpossible of accomplishment? Such course
is alike unjust to the individuals and the public.
The Bulletin also thinks the Council made a mis-
take in not uniforming the police; and that the men,
bers thereof owe it to the community to adopt the
measure with as little delay as practicable" We
agree both in the spirit and letter of the following
p"iasi"pn' pu' peioie "pPehu1nS IL peg leaFe 10 III
oih we biiethl that the mayor ald Chcl 40 make
frequent visits to all parts of the city at night and
taP luQse Nslts nave nQl Neen QeSttue OF results, by
! any means:
There another precautionary measure which the Mv0r
and tho Chief Police Tint CITY Frequently re-
arc told and we think that Mayor Watsnnr ard
his Chief would do we'll to same course We AUde
requelt paid during night various parts
the the Mayor and especially the Chief il, diunise
New York funcoares learned strn re
things things very useful to them rs guardians CT e reace
They ont, also, were their frty and lcrile
men, and who great n!vanta ge We lake it, We
be attended by highly altary rcsnIis likewise
if Col Fcrc collect all his men together on Inyue
Square, place i the afternoon occasionally and
iPsGt s ana sl n he Mayor ana Gie ought 70 see all
at him. They would at least learn disabled from any
We ,ink be useful There Is 20 ea in snn n o9 q"
n en m w ay pnPg FRITZ "a o' What woli be the efficiency
The RuI,atin roconmonas and i; th,t rooor,,,,o,,
ua'iol we heaftiy CONCUR that lhefe snail be a
" gradual increase oil compensation IN proportion to
the length of time the employee has been performing
dnty ION the noeeN and thn aficieucy Of car,,;cao
oa.aa,, M; ,... :,
~ P'P0o'''ii Is al 'ul'i'ihpic oue
ana until IL Is adopted, no large American city can
IN aninr
Rat n,ona mt +ho horof,l s;,it of