Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-03-13
THE ATTENTION
OF OUR COUNCIL CALLED TO
SOME MATTERS OF NC LIT
TIE IMPORTANCE.


In Article III, and Sec. l3, Of tn,
City's Charter where II speaks of III,
power vested in the Council we fine
they have the right, "To establish
support, and regulate policemen
night watches, patrols, and prescribe
their duties and compensation"
Now if every one interested in thii
all important reform will carefully
read the above, which not only plain
ly states that our Council have the
power to regulate but to prescribe
tie duties of our police, 1t will be adj
mitted that such regulation never
was worse needed than at the present
time. When a Councilman Is elected
by the votes of the people, he is chos'
EN- because majority of the voters
think he is better qualified to look af'
ter the city's needs than any other
citizen offered for election, and when
he enters upon his duties 1t is expect
ed of him that he will do all in his
power to carry into execution the
acts that are needed for the proper
government of the city. In the es-
pecial case Of our police system, we
are constrained to believe that there
is not one single Councilman who
will admit that he has done his best
10 regulate and prescribe the. duties
of our police. Should he so admit he
can but say that he approves of tao
policemen going together, and of a
system that prescribes no time for an
officer to go on or off of duty; that
permits them to go anywhere in the
city they may see fit; to sit down to-
gether aud converse ON the weather,
etc. not to have any particular por-
ton of the city to look after; 10 wear
partuniform and part citizen'sclothes
to use cane to walk with instead of
carrying billy in sight as all properly
equipped officers do and to meet all
trains and never require hsckTan
or loafer TO stand out of the.way. We
publish these few facts in comparison
with tho police -ya,ona ofother cities.
to show that our city Is operating =
system that would probably have
answered the purpose fifty years ago,
but is not at all serviceable to the
proper protection Of the city or TO the
enforcement of the law. Our Council
by acquainting themselves with the
police system of other cities SO sue
cessfully operated, could readily see
where improvements could be made
in ours. 1t is The duty ofour Council
to look after this important feature
of city government, which is suscep-
tible of so much improvement, for the
people who elected them except it,
and besides it is nothing but just to
the people who pay the taxes, to car
ry out their wishes.
General Ordinances, Chap. XVIIb
Sec. 3 says: "In addition to their
other duties under the general laws
of the land the Policemen of the city
shall .fdithfuHy execute ererv ordi-
nance and direction of the city Conn-
Gil ; enforce order, and quite through
out the city both day and night, ar
rest all offenders against the peace
and good order of the city, and pre-
sent them for trial before tho Judge
Of the Hopkinsville City Court; ar
rest all suspected or suspicious per-
sons who may be found prowling
about the city at unreasonable hours
of the night; visit all places and
houses of business licensed by the
city, and arrest and present for trial
before the Hopkinsyille City Court,
any and every person found violating
therein any law, or ordinance of the
city. 1t shall also be
their duty to enter any and all rooms
in the city In which they may sus-
pect or have information that gamb-
ling of any kind is being carried on,
and arrest all persons found engaged
in keeping such houses or engaged in
gaming therein; and all other per
sons who may be present, and pre-
sent them for trial before the City
Court. The refusal of any person or
persons to admit any policeman into
my such house tenement or premises
IN the discharge of any of his duties
lDder this section, without good
cause for such refusal, shall subject
he offender, on conviction, to fine
If not less than twenty-five dollars,
nor more than one hundred dollars"
We publish the above ordinance
because it is one in which the law
citizens are deeply interested,
ind one to which attention has been
recently directed by the New ERA In
falling attention to a gambling room
Kept by boys belonging to Hopkins
5ilPs best families. Can any of our
,itizens point us to a single instance
where a raid has been made upon
gamblers either white or colored by
our police for a long time, and yet our
Council can not deny the fact that
'uch rooms have been operated from
line to time for many years past.