The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-02-16
pHE POLICE BOARD AND THE
POLICE FORCE.
+ Few Facts Regarding Them.
Tie Report Of the House Com
mittee.

mittee.
Hon. Geo. W. Dupre, Chairman OF the com
1nittee to investigate the Metropolitan Police
Board, yesterday submitted the following repor
TO the House:
TO the Honorable the Speaker and members o.
the House of Representatives:
the special committee appointed by your hon
lprable body to investigate the afiairs OF the me
tropoltan police respectfully report, that "a view
of the limited time before them tney nave ueemee
it best to concentrate their lapors upon SUD
iects:
i. The constitution Of the board and its opera
tiOns under the l3w.
3. The alleged abuse and .malversation Of the
funds Of the metropolitan police.
The metropolitan police was definitely or
Kanized under act 90 OF 1869, which was . IN
various particulars amended IN the yenfs
1870. 1878, 1874, 1875. The Metropolitan 70
lice Board, under the law. is thus organ
Q ized The Lent. Governor is ex-oficio presi-
dent thereof; five Police Commissioners, appoint
ed by the Governor, with the advice and consent
or the Senate; the city Administrator Oh fonce
is ex-oficio member OF the board. mus we nave
n tribunal of seven persons. who are ciotneu WIN
absolute power as to appointments on the ponce,
the disbursement Of immense sums OF money, Inc
onacting OF rules and regulations Tor the govern
mept OF the force, five OF whom ara executive ep-
pointments, whose terms OF once arc tha,,
With this summary statement let US examine into
the transfold defects Of the law, and the oppres-
Sive abuses therefrom.
That the Lieutenant Governor OF the State
should be the active head OF the police ID pa
aont wrong upon our municipal franchises, which
Il aggravated when the Lieutenant Governor
happens to be resident Of Caddo, the extreme
Northwestern parish OF the State. A president
Of the metropolitan police district could not faii
to be far more efficient. especially II to the ad-
vantage of the actual residence he joined that OF
possessing an average amount OF capacity.
: We have seen that the Governor appoints five
OF the members of the Bosrd-mOre than ma
jority. The power OF removal At VIII mas Deen
arrogated entirely BY the present Executive. IN
disregard Of section OF act 81, OF 1869, and In
direct contravention OF the repeated decisions OF
our supreme Court, That an appointments and
commission by the Governor OF person to an
Office which has been legally filed. without .
vacancy being first declared according to law. is
m absolute nullity." Our supreme and Distrlct
Courts have decided moreover that the power TO
appoint does not include the power to remove IN
adovernor Of State. In the removal OF Police
Commissioner e. V. Leclerc, and the appoint
ment of v. A. Ryan in his place, your committee
ind Gov. W. p. Kellogg guilty Of clear viola
ton of law.
THE arrogated power of removal ct will gives
the Executive controlling voice in the manage
ment of the police which fact must be recognized
% fraught with danger and IS an outrage upon
civil liberty. Your committee Is OF opinion that
the Governor IL in great Measure responsible
for the many abuses and crimes which this report
recites: For through this usurped power Of re-
moval he keeps in fear and trembling more than
. msiority Of the board, who dare not disobey his
behests. Another abuse which affects the COM
munity more Immediately, is the custom which
obtains in the board OF subdividing the metro
ssnSsx ntxn~r
of the said board, giving each member the super
vision Of one subdivided district.
And allowing him Through courtesy" the
absolute power Of filing vacancies therein,
which, TO quote from the Hon. Major J. H.
Robinson's testimony, gives him the appoint
mont Of political friends in that case he appoints
them without regard to their efficiency or useful
moss. Superintendent Loan says in this connec-
ton: "There are some (men) that were placed
on the roll through political influence. They
are not Of much use to me. don't know that
could specify names; though | should say, in
round numbers, there are about 15O that are USE
lees to me-"
There we have the evidence Of two experience
the other the present Chief to prove that the
courtesy" among members Of the board num-
bers more than one-third Of our police force per-
fectly worthless. The evidence before your CON-
mittee OF Major Robinson is replete with the
matter bearing upon such facts as are established
above. We quote this forcible PASSAGE
I" The question Of color has been q very deli
cate one. A good many men (cOlOred) were put
On who could neither read nor write, who were
utterly worthless and incompetent. These men,
most Of them, were appointed through political
influence"
We have shown how v. A. Ryan is an illegal
member OF the board. Your committee fiad that
under the provisions Of article 2239 Of the Re-
Constitution Of our State, Mr.. James Lewis is
likewise an illegal police commissioner.
Being Jury commissioner, he sits on the Me-
tropolitan Police Board in direct violation OF law.
Gov. Kellogg made both OF the above appoint
ments and in both he has violated the law know.
ingly. The Mayor OF Kenner, . city within the
metropolitan district, testified under oath before
your committee, that, in the appointment Of last
year made by the board, the city Of Ksnner was
formally commanded to levy tax of $500 as her
share OF the said appointment. The matter was
referred TO the courts.
Since over two months, the city of Kenner,
with front Of 81 miles, and extending back
70 the lake, with . population Of about 1850 in
habitants, has not seen q single police officer
within her limits. Previously the city had been
says, II stated to the board it was impossible to
have any warrants served, as this man (Piggott),
the solitary policeman, positively refused to do go.
I sent notice Of this in writing to the board,
The citizens Of Kenner also petitioned the board
to remove that man." Your committee will add
that this model policeman only left when his
pay was far in arrears. Starvation, not the
board, delivered the good people OF Kenner from
him.
The board provided twenty men for the police
ing Of the Seventh Precinct, which extends from
Valence street to Camp Parapet, distance of
some fifteen or sixteen miles, one beat of which
extends from Carrollton to Kennerville. OF this
beat the officer in command-Sergt. Aucoine-
SAYS: 60 suppose the whole distance is ten miles,
We have no man up there now. We can not get
man to 60 up there for that reason, (the I'M
mensty Of the beat, They always ask to be
transferred, or they ask the superintendent for
leave OF absence" We deem all comments un-
necessary.
Az to the disposition Of the funds, we find
among other matters that the board appropri-
ates monthly sum OF from $1,000 to $500 as a
contingent Of the Superintendent
sYour committee believe that . portion, per-