Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-12-05
Workings Of Our Metropolitan Police
System.


The Legislature has been asked to
modify the act establishing Metropoli-
tan Police Department. The State at
tempted by means Of State officials to
regulate the local affairs of Memphis,
Nashville and Chattanooga, and the re-
suit has not been at all satisfactory. In
connection with the proposed bill, the
Nashville Banner thus alludes to the
workings of the system in the State, and
particularly in Memphis:
When the So called Metropolitan Po-
lice system was first established
in Tennessee, number of men who
had been trained in the villainous prac.
tees that distinguished Northwestern po-
lice operations under Pinkerton andBrad-
ley, or had graduated as army detectives,
were imported to show the politicians
controlling the police how things should
be done. The police of Memphis is the
product of their tuition. Most of those
police guides have had to run away be-
tween two days to escape convictions for
vilainies in which they were detected,
but their system still lives. AT the last
session of the Legislature two honorable
gentlemen declared that it was a notorious
fact that the Memphis police, under the
control of the State, shared with thieves
the proceeds of their depredations, and
drew enormous black mail from gambling
houses and houses prostitution. These
charges we're supposed to be somewhat
inspired by Conservative feeling, but so
i'm pressed was the Legislature that it
passed an act to prevent Or detect cor
rupt police practices, by requiring every
member of the police department, from
the highest to the lowest, to make sworn
statements every month of the money or
valuables coming into their hands. AS
if conscious that this would expose cor
rupt practices, not single commits
sioner, captain, sergeant, detective or
patrolman has ever yet made one single
statement such as required by law
Under these circumstances it is not
strange that the people of Memphis think
it hardship that the State should take by
force from the city nearly. half of its |
annual revenue and give it to the State
Commissioners and their appointees A
few days ago member Of the State Sen.
ate made speech before several hun
dred persons in Brownlow council, q
loyal league in the city of Memphis, and |
declared in it that there was reason to |
believe that the greatest corruption
existed in the police department He |
said the police was only to cost $l25, 900.
The State never supposed that it would
be GENEROUSLY expensive. There was no
gish of the Legislature to Cypress Mem
phis, but it is now officially announced
hat for the year ending in June last
he Metropolitan Police of Memphis
mad cost the enormous sum of 1928, 900,
and there was forty thousand dollars
ofdefcit, or defalcatioH, unaccounted for.
Is it any wonder that Memphis feels sore
1t having this costly State incubus forced
lpon her2 In Chattanooga Radical
grand jury makes presentment that this
system is shamefully cor
-upt In Nashville our Radical city off.
,ials find that having three commission
RS for a force of sixty men (just as in
Memphis, there are three commissioners,
It very high salaries, to supervise force
# sixty mem is needlessly expensive.
These facts certainly do not justify the
ropes of our Legislature when they
orced the State Metropolitan Police on
Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga