The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-02-06
A GOOD EXAMPLE.

The police Of New York have been for some
time annoyed by frequent complaints that
the "panel thieves" we're bee oming more nu-
merous and more daring in their operations
in that city. 1t was, however, found diff suit
to persuade any victim to make complaint
and appear against the thieves. President
Smith, of the Board of Police, determined to
have stop put to the nuisance, and sum-
moning all the police captains of the city to-
gether, addressed them as follows:
Gentlemen of the Police Force-You have been
ordered 10 assemble by the Board of Police.
owing TO certain recent circumstances, and 1
am desired by my cole CUES to info,m you
Of what il expected OF you in the future. Il
is the unnlterabie decision of the Board of
Police to hold you to strict accountability in
the performance Of your duties in the respon-
sible positions to which you have been az
signed. desire to impress upon your minds
that if taere is any one crime that carries
with il O lower depth Of degradation than
another, it is the crime of panel thieving.
There Is no other crime through which sus-
picion Of evil attaches to members Of the
force more easily than panel thisving, and 10
crime has gone moro unwhipped Of justice
an this city. There is no excuse for u Cap
tain ci Police to allow "panel" house to
exist in his prec;rcT beyond certain limited
time. Al, the testimony l have heard and
read, ereaf del o. it given in this court
roonl ny persons presumed to have knovl-
edge OF s4s subject, is to that effect A Cap
tam 81 iics who allows panel-house to exis.
IN bis precinct il either 50 III fhcIsut as to be
no gooi IL tie public or still worse than that.
The BJart. Of Police expects you to under
stand Il! general orders Issued for your sutd-
ancn ant! Tie rules and regulations OF the do
parmtnt. Your future welfare in the depart
lnent, ua3er the present board, depends upon
your liyi up to The spirit and letter OF the
rules AMIR galations.
You ere not expected to go about your pre-.
cincts, or have men under You going about
with eyes that see not and ears that hear not,
but you are always TO be on the alert, both in
and out Of your precinct, for the detection
and suppre ssion OF crime. | warn You that it
will not be SITE for any Captain to allow any
of these vile dens to exist. They are pub
lie nuisance to the neighborhood and to those
WHO are PEELED to pass by them. 1t will
be excee !ingly unsafe for Captain to allow
O gambling house which has existed in his
precinct to be broken up by any but his own
men, or throui h his orders. l desire to state
distinctly that it will be- cause for dismissal
for Captain to allow panel game" to run
with his knowledge the one which was
w
own personal knowledge, and that is good
deal longer time than will be allowed here
after.
Wi a reference to these especial things to
which have called your attention to-day, |
desire 10 say that the first Information about
them n.ust come from you, and not from out-
side parties. You must find them out fol
your elves. II viii not do to shield your
selves behind the Inspectors of your respec-
tive districts. You Will be held responsible,
whether the Inspector shows the alertness We
have reason to expect or not.
This address, with few changes in the
names and locality, would suit admirably fol
our Superintendent OF Police or Board Of Pc.
lice to deliver to the Police Cap.
tains Of our city on the sub
iect Of "Duuko." Let the members OF
the police understand that rigid measures,
the same as contemplated in the above ae.
dress, viii De taken to hold them to strict
accountability, and great good will doubtless
ne Effected in suppressing the thieving
bupko practices SO often worked upon stran.
gers to our city.