The New York herald., 1871-03-07
Necessity OF BETTER D.Sl.PLlEE N
THE PGEsgE FORCE.

What Ought TO be the Power Of the
Superintendent.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
One OF your editorials asked recently on a given
subject "Wil not the superintendent OF Police issue
an order TO stop thlsSn You, as well MS the public
at large constantly labor under the extraordinary
belief that the Superintendent has any power OF hls
own to issue an order or to act otherwise than as
police orderly on staff have no axe to grind as
left the force some lime since, and am engaged
III business, and have pleasant relations with all
concerned; but have deep interest In police vel
fare. There Is no superintendent III fact; only one
IN name. He has scarcely as much power as the
Chief Clerk OF the Board He is only the mouth
piece OF the Board and like the trumpet the Chief
Engineer speaks through at fires There are four
superlntendeuts. Every Commissioner is q super
intendent The police constantly fight disorder
under council OF generals where the enemy is all
the time On the defensive. zach Commissioner
Is naturally anxious to Keep hold OF sucn power as
he can, ana each to nave an equal voice. Tie gossip
OF police quarters l. that there g no harmony among
the commissioners except only tnat born OF policy
and expectancy. You VIII remember that Superli-
tendent Jourdan rendered his resignation because
up TheTe Is splendid stuI among The captains,
sergeants and pairolmen. or course there Is some
lumber districts have these but they need one head
much to do as they want in thoroughly examining
ana housing them aud paying them; but
the superintendent ought to command them and
be responsible 10 the Commissioners for his
command. Fernando Wood, IN 1857, had passed
the one man power Of The police command, and
people had run into the opposite. eytreme-n ! re-
member right they MADE seven commissioner COM
mandors. They became reduced to hye, and are
now four. The department runs In the cid metro
politan ruts, although il Is municipal. Their de-
Signs seem to be in conlct with the other city de-
partments. | lave the yaD,ty to suppose conId
make y gooa Superintendent myself, for I had ten
years' experience as patrolnlan, sergeant and cap
tain. Were superintendent would assume conf
nand OF the force az general would OF All army,
Changing men, assigning oihceTs detailing them
and ordering them by companies, platyons and
squads | might mako mistakes, but would have
discipline There might be blunders, but they would
be Inc blundcrs Of one man, ana could be better
rectiled than eau be tlle hunders or four men--
men VINO are jealous OF one another, and more or
less seek power through tho scattered discipline
Of Tie force. These views are perfectly well known
to the leaders. commend the subject 10 your dis
cusslon If you will send q reporter 10 intersiev
duerent captains and men, and VIII suppress the
names of these, they VIII lie frank AMI tell tie
truth. satisfied that oil but the few drones ana
the favorites WIZ agree with my views. They were
exceenty expressed by eX-Mayor HayemeSer In an
interview had with reporter Tor one OF your morn
Ing contemporaries lew weeks since.
AN EX-CAPTAlN.