The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1873-12-25
THE POLICE FORCE.
Why it Should Not be Reduced.
Opinions Of the People in Rela.
tiOn to the Natter.
Sensible Letter from a Heavy
Tax Payer.

Editor Times:
DEAR SIR Il see by ye-.erdsy's CONNER.
cial that radical change il TO take place In
our police force. The City Marshars Office
is to be abolished and captain is to be sp-
pointed in his stead. The number and pay
Of policemen to he cut down and &c. Now
il this is right am all wrong and submit:
it to sensible minds to determine. Our pres
ent City Marshal or Chief of Police is elect
ed BY the people every two yesrs and until
the Legislature met in 1872 his salary was
s., 600 per annum, when it was cut down to
to 81 500, which amounts to only $l25 per
mouth salary fully email enough for an
able man in the calling. But they propose
to have Captain to take his place. They
have not stated wha, they propose to pay him
but i, is probably less for the change is Pc
cuniary only, the rank being all the same
Chief. There is no business man in town
with ability enough to run police force
whom the city could employ at less .alsry
than Mr.. Hook is receiving. OF course it
may be urged that nan could be found
who would take ofice at q much lees figure
30 can there be found men who would
preach the goriou, truths cf the
Gospel for the honor Of the thing,
but are they responsible and qualified for the
position-that's the question. Will they
earn any salary at all? Oar city ranks
among the principal cities Of the Union in
population, and it is reasonable to suppose
that it needs marshal with brains enough to
run bis Office, and such one you cannot have
unless You pay a respectable salary. The
way to deter nine whether you have a man
who earns his salary is to take his work into
consideration and see ii it is done wsll-if
it is, then he is entitled to reasonable COM
pensaiion for the same. Any man who can
keep the city as clear OF the light-fin:ered
gentry as Marshal Hook has done for two
years past, is paid meagerly enough a, Sia5
per month.
The police force is nov Is men strong,
the smallest force in the Missouri valley to-
day, and Mr. Hook informs me that he has
not men enough to patrol the business streets
of the city, and Il don't know that it
on .ht to be told) the Marshal Gays
that there has been no men on duty
in South Leavenwortb for months, aud,
though called for every day, he can
render no assistance without stripping
some other locality Of its patrolman. Let
Us take one Ward the All. pro-
tected by tuo men. This ward being bound
ed on the east by 5 h street, and on the south
by Shawnee is qlite an extensive affair, run.
ming out to the hills on the west, and people
living on those western streets are Just ss
much entitled to protection as those living
10 more favorable localities Complains
after complaints are continually coming into
police headquarters for policemen to be sta
TONED on, in Cincinnati" Almost every
kind of crime and misdemeanor being night
ly enacted there. Men b we boldly told the
N ,rshai that unless certain lawlessness was
own hands. The 4h Ward is as large as
some towns that l know OF governed by a
Mayor, Council and guarded by Marshal,
deputy and police force of ten or twelve |
men, its population being in the neighbor-
hood of seven or eight thousand souls. |
Nav if the people says that reduction |
ho =, nv / hsv
no idea Of what ought to he. There ia no
Use of people running mad over the ques-
ion of taxes to a degree that will endanger
he life and property of every individual in
DUR city. If they would baild less jails,
court houses Fourth streets, &c, or else hi
lpon less tight times in which to build them,
Every thing would be right
Yours respectfully, JUSTICE