The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1893-07-31
IMPROVING The FORCE
Some P,anS Of Marshal EcNichOlS for
Police Reform.
WILL ADOPT A NEW SYSTEM
The OFFICERS Must Work In Har-
mony or Not Work at ALL
More office Room
Needed.

Needed.
BrrrE. July aO.-Marshal McNichols
has found his Office in the city hall alto
gcther too small for the transaction OF the |
steadily increasing volume OF business
which comes under his department. and |
he Is now trying to secure the city at,or-
ney's office, which Immediately adjoins |
his. The marshal's present office is a little |
cramped up room about . by 10 feet AMI |
the street commissioner has also a desk |
in it SO tha, the need for more room is |
badly felt. The attorneys office is never |
used except for committee meetings and |
Mayor Dugan is Of the opinion that these !
can just as well he held either in his |
office or in the regular commit
lee rooms adjacent To the coun- |
ell chamber. II the use of the |
attorneys Office is secured. as there is no |
doubt it will be, the marshal will at once
establish n metropolitan headquarters and
inaugurate some more changes. which
will greatly increase the efficiency of the
| force. Tho first thing to be done will be
TO put a table IN the new room and keep
the police book there. so that the officers
will have stated place to register every
morning and evening. The men will also
meet there at g o'clock every evening and
any instructions which the marshal or
chief have to give can he given out
quickly and secretly. AS IL is now, there
are always about dozen would-bc police
men hanging about tho marshal's Office
and IL he wants TO give any instructions
he has to call each of separately and whis-
per them into his ear. The marshal also
1 ..,s.. A. hat
soon as "A description OF a man is wanted
in other cities. copies can be struck oil
and given to policemen.
In the same way, whenever robberies
and other misdeeds are reported to have
occurred here. and a description OF the
guilty parties have been secured, copy
of their description will be in the hands
of every officer on duty inside of an
hour. Hereafter, any officer who hears of
robbery or hold up or of any other
ofcnse, must report all the facts at once
10 either the marshal or chief at head
quarters. under penalty of immediate dis
missai from the force. Tho dcscrp-
tion of the parties who are wanted
will then be at once sent out
TO all the officers and the chances of CATCH
ing them will be greatly improved. This
neH order " i'll give the officers something
|
IL cannot but rcsul, in greatly increasing
the efficiency Of the force. When the po-
licenen have nothing else to do they can
stand on the corners and study the faces
of the passers-by and try to find some one
who tallics with one of the descriptions
, which they carry in their pockets. The po-
Ice records show that in the past but very
few men have been caught here
who were wanted in other towns,
aud this was largely due To
|, lack of harmony. Each officer wanted
TO do more than somebody else, and the
result was that they did not do much of
anything except 10 draw their salaries.
/. Whenever any member Of the force. from
the marshal down. received telegram
with description OF some man who was
wanted i'm another town, he would never
, think of telling any one else about IL, but
simply stuff II down in his pocket and try
to catch the man himself, and, of course,
no one was ever caught
Even since Marshal McNichols assumed
Office. there have been cases where police.
men heard of robberics and hold-ups and
got "A description Of the guilty parties and
, then KEEP, tho facts to themselves IN tho
! vain hope Of catching the parties and thus
getting the credit for a remarkably
, clever arrest" and the exhibition Of great
/, slrewdness." But they never caught
anyone. Only few days ago an officer
. , on one corner was very indusiriously
looking for the thief while, On the very
next corner. another officer was kicking
, the man he was look ing for Oft the side.
n walk. The result was that the thief go;
r away when he could easily have been
a caught lad the officer who wanted him
!. not been too secretive and important to
tell his brother officer about il.
, Marshal McNichols. however, proposes
to stop all this and 10 bring order out o'
n chaos as quickly as possible. lie wants all
4 of the officers To work together in har
mony for the good of the entire force. and
he will either have his way or some head.
will drop into the basket. Hereafter. on,
r police officer will know just as much as {,
o what is going on and who is wanted. an.
= none Of the essential facts will he reserved
a by tteir superior officers, as has alway,
y been the case heretofore. Ii is also the in
4 tention TO hereafter keep a full aut
"A accurate description of all person,
70 arrested on AN important charge. Tbs
: description cards arc made cut In dupli
|. cate. so that any particulars which ma,
: be left out in the first description eau b,
added later Oh. The cards contain th'
following questions tn bc answered
Number of arrest. name, aIlas, weight
4 height. age, complexion, color of hair
h. eyes and beard, nationality. marks an,
r. scars, when arrested, by whom and OF
J. what charge.
r. At the bottom of the card is space 70
10 general remarks. In this way n compile q
b. record, which can he easily and quickly re-
0. fcrred TO will be kept of all lmportan
Il criminals, and a copy Of the DESCRIPTION
~ can IA. sent to OUT side towns when ncccs
sary. Marshal McNichols also hopes tina
the city will soon he in such shape that j
will be able 10 pay for having photograph
IS taken of all criminals arrested here :
~ that a regular "Rogue's gallery may b
N maintained. He believes that the polio
To force will never bc rightly organized unit
r this is done.
Ia
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