The Indianapolis journal., 1894-03-21
POLICE REORGANIZATION.

Inc Sentlnel is very MUCH eAClleu over
the recent changes in the police force. 1t
says the Board of Public Safety has "out-
rageously violated the provisions of the city
charter" and II says the charter provides
that after men are accepted on the police
force their places shall be permanent unless
charges of ineff1ciency or misconduct are
and fully sustained at trial for the benefit
Of the accused" The charter does not con-
tain any such provision, nor anything re-
sembling it. It's provisions relative to the ap-
are few and simple. First, it expressly ex-
empts the force from the civil-service pro-
vision in Section As and leaves the Board
of Public Safety to make it's own rules. The
other provisions are as follows:
Section SO. Every member of the fire and
police force shall held office until they are
removed by the board. They may be re-
moved for any cause other than politics,
and the written reasons for such removal
shall be entered upon the records of such
board.
Section 97 On conviction of member of
the police. force for any criminal offense or
neglect of duty, or of violation OF rules, or
neglect or disobedience of orders, or inca
Pacity, or absence without leave or conduct
immoral conduct. or conduct unbecoming
an officer. or other breach of discipline, said
commissioners shall have power TO punish
the offending party by reprimand, forfeiture,
suspension without pay, dismissal. or by re-
ducing him TO lower grade and pay.
Another clause provides that "said force
shall be as nearly as possible equally d.
vided politically, and no member thereof
shall be dismissed except for cause as here
in provided" These are all the provisions
in the charter relative to the removal Of po-
licemen. The first section above quoted
gives the board the unqualified power OF
removal at any time and for any cause ex-
cept politics, providing only that the written
reason for the removal shall be entered on
the record. The other section provides that
on conviction of a member of the force of
certain specified offenses the board may rep
rimand, fine, suspend dismiss him In
neither section Is there any reference to the
filing of charges, the holding of trial, CT
anything of the kind. Neither is there any
reference to permanency or tenure Of office,
the whole question being left. to the discre-
ton Of the board, with the single qualifca-
ton that removals cannot be made for poll
itics -
In the recent changes the board has not
violated the charter in the slightest degree
1t has been in Office long enough to know
whether the force needed reorganizing or
not, and how to go about the work of
strengthening it. There could not be any
better ground for removal than inefficiency,
and In assigning this cause and entering 1t
on the records the board has fully compiled
with the terms of the charter. Whether the
changes have really strengthened the force
or not time alone can determine, but that,
the board has full power to make removals
at any time and for any cause other than
politics is too plain for argument.
AS already stated the charter expressly ex-
empts the Department of Public Safety
from the operation of Section 49, relative
to 'cvil-service rules, but 1t provides that
the board shall make its own rules and reg
ulations for the appointment and govern
ment of members of the force. These rules
have been made without any outside help,
and they are simple and efficient. If they
are adequate for the selection of nine
tenths of all the employees of the city gov
ernment, including the fire and police force.
there would seem to be little necessity for
the construction of a new board, composed
nartlv of outsiders and with salaried
clerk, for the selection of the other tenth.