New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-11
POLICE DISCIPLINE.

The case of the policeman Mcnamara, VINO
fatally dubbed sailor, has served to arouse
the usual denunciations of the whole police
force and to awaken the usual defences of its
management. The most recent witnesses as TO
the decentralization of the men are Commits
soner French, Superintendent WaliinS and
CAPTAIN Petty. Each is also an apologlst for
his subordinates generally, though not for the
man Mcnamara.
Each claims what is undoubtedly true, that
the force of to-day is far superior to that which
existed prior to 1853 and was known as
Mayor Woods police. Each admits that 1t Is not
nprfect: that many bad men obtain admission
IN if. and, that the discipline of to- day is lax.
CAPTAIN Petty, who commands a precinct which
is a sort of Botany Bay to which the Commits
sjoners transfer the bad officers whom they can
not legally dismiss, gives the worst picture OF
police depravity and it Is to be hoped that IL
fully applies only to his immediate command.
He SAYS the bad policemen become worse anc
good ones become bad after admission to the
force that they yield to temptations to drink
and other designations; become dishonest
and practise blackmail on prisoners and liquor
sellers and other dealers on their beats The
standard of character of the men has recently
been greatly lowered 10y the reduction of the
pay at least so Captain Petty says.
All these expert witnesses unite In Offering
these excuses tor this state of decentralization.
Tue sy stem of appointment dnes not allow full
and proper inquiry into the character OF the aD-
plcants the rulings of the courts have recently
been such as to prevent dismissal in many cases
where the conduct of the men warranted it but
the law did not tho reduction OF pay has COM
PEELED the selection Of men below the proper
grade of character and the restoration of men
dismissed has inclined all the force to be IN
tractable. These excuses do not touch the real
root of the whole trouble.
Amendment and dismissal and punishment
alike are influenced altogether too much by
politics. The Commissioners who create the
force are themselves merely the creatures OF
politicians. The politician who will recon-
mend and urge the appointment of man OF
little character will not hesitate to protect him
by his influence il he is arraigned before the
Board /; and the members OF the Beard dare
not. in the majority of instances, disregard the
application of the Influential politician either
to appoint or protect y his man." The worst
legislation at Albany which ever affected the
notice was that which made such board OF
partslns as are now IN ONCE possibility, anu,
took away the power of a good Superlntend-
ent, distributed it among four irresponsible
Commissioners. Under the same legislation
changed board would be probably quite as in
efficient as the present one is. No one will
probably ever be able to influence the Commits
sioners to ask for legislation which will restore
power to the Superintendent and take it away
from the board. Yet that is the needed
remedy; such legislation is primarily essential
to the restoration of police discipline. No re-
versal of court decisions, no advance OF pay,
no transportation of patrolmen to Botany Bay
or of captains to unpopulaied "goat" districts
az punsbments, will restore the morale of the
force so long as there exists a Board OF Com
missioners who get and who keep power, even
when their legal terms are ended, solely be-
cause political factions need them in Office