The New York herald., 1869-07-04

Harmony in the working of the Police Board
of this city at the present time does not seem
to be the prevailing sentiment. Hitches in
the Board are quite common. Everything
seems to work out of order. From Commits
sioner down 10 patrolman, with the police
surgeons thrown in by the way of variety, all
appear to be demoralized to a very serious ex-
tent. AS consequence the thieves, burglars,
pickpockets, confidence operators, bank rob-
bers and all the other individuals who make up
the sum total of the dangerous classes, are
taking advantage of the occasion and are
making hay while the sun shines. Robberies
are numerous and arrests are few. To great
extent those who manage our police affairs are
responsible for this state of things.
The truth of the whole matter is this, that
party politics enter too largely into the ar
rangement of business at Police Headquarters.
Petty chickering's and narrow minded jealousies
also intrude themselves and interfere with the
proper administration of business in the white
house in Mulberry street. We blame no one
in particular, as the muddle appears to be so
general that all hands seem to be, in some way
or other, mixed up in the business II is sad
to reflect that precious time is allowed to slip
by and nothing of any practical advantage to
this great city and its citizens is accomplished
by the Board of Police Commissioners.
Vacant captaincies remain untitled be-
cause one Commissioner thinks one man
is qualified for the position, and another Com
missioner thinks differently. A deadlock is the
consequence. If competency were the test by
which police captains were to be held on the
force fully one-third of the present number of
incumbents would be dismissed on fair and
impartial trial. The prevalence of crime, the
small number of arrests, the boldness of the
thieves and the recklessness of the rowdies
and loafers will go far to sustain this view.
A muddle regarding the police surgeons is
now the excitement. tits asserted that they do
not attend to their professional duties. 1t is
t.rt1:, fart1:, stated that q DumbsS Ar them draw
regular salaries and engage young, struggling
doctors, without patients, to perform their
police duties for small sum. If this be true
we think the Board of Metropolitan Police
should put stop to it, and when they find
that the gentlemen they have selected do not
attend to their professional duties they should
appoint those who will do so.
Taken altogether the situation at Police
Headquarters is, to say the least of it, most
unsatisfactory. The Police Commission is one
of the most important in the city, and the
proper administration of its functions exercises
a.great influence on certain classes What
can be expected from the inferior officers and
men of department the heads of which are
continually at loggerheads with each other2
And this has been the order of things for
many long day in the department of which
we speak. Taxpayers pay heavily to support
the Police Commission, and have, therefore,
right to expect something better than what
we have been witnessing of late. We hope
we have seen the worst, and that the present
campaign of Generalization is not TO last all
summer.