National Republican., 1884-04-17
THE REASON OF IT.
An Exhibit that Shows the Pitiablo Weakness
Of Our Police Force.
Utterly Unable to Cope With the Grow
ing Army Of Crooks
The General Generalization Explained by tho Record
Of the Trial Board.
No Citizen Need Apply for Redress from
Police Brutality.

Crooked people Of all grades appear to be
as thick in Washington now as beggsrs are
in Romo or Venice. At least this state of
affairs is indicated by the robbery record"
at police headquarters. The figures arc
given below. The Washington de-
tective force may be pretty Fly" thief
takers. but recent events suggest tn at they
arc better acquainted with the whereabouts
of seductive games of policy and poker than
with the minor matters of "bousebreaking in
the night" burglary, highway robbery, and
larceny. Tho number of robbcries
committed in less than one mouth,
and the amount of money and
property stolen, certainly make startling
showing The complaint book of robberies
was opened to tho public March IS, 1884.
Between that date and Monday last, exactly
twenty-eight days, ninety-fve cases OF burg
larry, robbery, and other thoits were recorded,
an average of nearly four robberos each day.
The amount of property stolen during that
period, as shown by the official figures,
amounts to S5,0S0.3S. 1t is impossible to
determine the amount recorded, as no definite
recovery record is kept 1t is safe to say,
however, that the property recovered would
amount to but q very small fraction
of the above total. In not few instances
case diamonds were stolen to the value of
over 81 900. In another $500 was stolen from
Gen. Swain at tho Ebbitt house, while $3.50
was stolen from q private residence day or
two later. Officer Breen was detailed from
the fifth precinct to assist tho regular detec-
tives at headquarters, but he appears to be
devoting most of his time in ferroting out
quiet poker games while professional cracks
men are swelling the records of robberies.
If the detectives were half as familiar
with the faces Of some OF the Washington
thieves and their outside cousins as they are
with tho faces of "pocker decks" and chips
the citizens might rest easier at night.
Another cause of complaint by citizens is tho
manner in which police officers are tried.
The trial board consists of two lieutenants
and a captain. 1t resembles in some respects
an army court martial. The citizens think
that, being composed of police officers,
the board is prejudiced in favor of the officer
where citizen is the complainant. The
records of the trial board seem to prove this
TO be fact, because Of all the cases tried since
the beginning of the fiscal year, July l, 1888,
every one preferred by citizens against
officers for brutal treatment, unlawful arrest,
&C., were dismissed. The general opinion
is that policemen should be tried by thor
oughly disinterested parties, especially when
the issue is between an officer and q citizen,
The officer has many opportunities TO be
brutal under the cloak of duty.
The least resistance or remonstrance
on the part Of a citizen and he is hauled to
the station house and incarcerated or COM
PEELED to leave collateral. In tho latter event
he very frequently forfeits the amount rather
than appear in tho police court with thugs.
"vags," and thieves. His .only redress is the
trial board, and there the fact that he for
feted collateral is considered sufficient evil
dence for the dismissal Of any charges against
tho officer. Formerly policemen were tried
by three police commissioners That plan
was popular and very few complaints were
made. There was nothing connected with
the method to suggest prejudice. In the
present plan there is.
The records of tho police trial board from
July !, 1858, up to the present time, show
that there were seventy-one trials, sixty-nine
of which were policemen and two station
keepers The offenses were classified as fol-
lows: Neglect of duty, 2l; intoxication, o;
non-payment Of debt and gross neglect of
duty, /; gross neglect of duty, II; absence
without leave, 2; trespass, profanity and
conduct ,unbecoming an officer, l;
non-payment of debt, 5; profanity and
conduct unbecoming an officer, q
conduct unbecoming IN officer, l; assaulting
a citizen, /; intoxication and neglect of duty,
i; intoxication and conduct unbecoming an
officer, /; intoxication and absence without
leave l. neglect of duty and conduct unbe-
coming an officer l; disobedience of ORDERS
2; entering bar room while on duty, 2; en-
tering a pool room, l. absence without leave
and disobedience of orders, l; neglect ofduty
and violation of rules, l. disobedience of
orders and conduct unbecoming an officer 3,
and unlawful arrest and conduct unbecoming
an officer. Total trials, II.
The above cases were disposed of as follows: 4:
Fined and reprimanded, 5; fined, 81; repri-
manded, a; dismissed the force, 10; debt or
dered paid, 4; charges dismissed, 90; reduced
TO the ranks, 3.
Included in the twenty-fv cases that were
dismissed and the word mot guilty" entered
were every case Of unlawful arrest, assault
on citizen" in which citizen was the
complainant. The number embraced
the assault made upon a carpenter
named Doran, on Seventh street, and the
case of Mr.. r. L. Gait, a prominent merchant,
who claimed that he WAS unjustly arrested
and submitted TO other indignities. AS a
result of the latter case an order was issued
by headquarters that in the future officers
must be more careful in arresting merchants
and respectable citi2ens.
The record Of robberies, followed by the
record of the police trial board, while they
make "good readin'," certainly do not reflect
any overburdening amount of credit on the
present police management. The records
rather point in the direction of needed rad.
ical reforms.
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