The New York herald., 1875-07-16
The Demoralization and Inenieieney
OF the Police Force.

OF the Police Force.
The deplorable ineficiency Of our present
police force in all its branches is o fact
brought before the eyes of the citizens of New
York almost daily by the increasing boldness
OF the criminal classes and in the constant
failure to detect and punish the perpetrators
OF crime 1t would be unjust ps we have
already said, to hold the police responsible for
every offence that Is committed in a great city
like New York. If our patrolmen were as
yigilant as men could possibly be they could
not always be on tho spot to prevent o burg
larry or highway robbery, especially as the
desperado makes 1t his study how to best
avoid the notice and avail himself of the alb
sence of the police. But when we find crime
increasing in boldness, when thieves lay out
plans of highway robberies and burglaries to
be committed in crowded thoroughfares and
in the busy hours Of the day, we may fairly
conclude that their confidence is due to the
knowledge of the carelessness. inefficiency and
general decentralization of the force. They
know not only that they viii meet with
no interruption from the preservers
of the public peace while in the COM
mission of their felonious acts, but that
they can rely on the inoapacity, Indifference
or corruption of the police for their escape
from detection or punishment But for this
knowledge we should not have had the rob-
berry of a messenger in a crowded car at two
o'clock in the afternoon by band of armed
ruffians or the midday burglaries and highway
robberies which have startled the community
for the past week. A police force known to
be ably and honestly managed, woll officercd,
with shrewd, capable, incorruptible detectives
and active, vigilant, well disciplined patrol
men, would act as check upon the criminal
classes, and insure tho citizens against those
reckless and daring outrages that seem to put
the lives and property of the whole popula-
ton at the mercy of robbers and cutthroats.
The disclosures before the legislative in
vestgating committee have already proved
that the officers of the force, captains and
Others, are in improper intercourse with law
less characters. and are in the habit of levy
ing blackmail and receiving hush money from
criminals of all degrees The ward detcc-
tives seem to be only SO many stool pigeons
and receivers for their captains Starting
from this point can we expect to find honest,
efficient and well disciplined patrolmen under
the command of such officers? On the other
hand, can any sensible man believe that such
practices would be followed by captains if
they did not know those in authority over
them either to be as corrupt as themselves or
utterly incapable of properly managing the de-
partment? The conclusion is, therefore, in
evitable that the evil commences at the head
and permeates the whole department. Prac-
tically the Commission is still in the condi-
ton to which it was reduced by the late Mr..
Havemeyer's unfortunate appointments, and
no substantial reforms can be carried out un-
til the Board shall have been reorganized
We had Gardner and Charlick holding the
power Of the Board until the courts of justice
disposed of them. Now we have Matsell and
Disbecker. The idea of any competent man
agement or control of great force under
such men is ridiculous. Ineficiency or
worse in the heads is followed by ineficiency
or worse in the immediate subordinates
From these we come down to detectives max
ing large fortunes out of their connection
with thieves, to captains who are blackmailers
and receivers of hush money, and to patrol
men who, knowing the character of their
superiors, discharge their own share of the
duties of the force after their own fashion.
This is the true explanation of the boldness
of the criminal classes. This is why armed
highwaymen rob passengers in railway cars
in the afternoon, and why burglars enter
houses at midday, bind and gag the inmates
and plunder at their leisure. This is why the
perpetrators of these bold crimes escape ar
rest and punishment. We shall have no
proper protection to life and property until
our entire police force is reformed, and the
first step necessary to secure substantial re-
form is to place in the Office of Commissioners
citizens of character, capacity and integrity
When we get rid of the diseased head we
shall soon purify and inyigorate the entire
body. se
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