New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-30
POLICE REORG4NI/I ton.

Considering the shocking revelations OF police
brutality. dishonesty unfaithfulness and com
plicty in all sorts Of meanncsS and crime when
have boon brought out in the Iexow invesiiga-
lion: and especially in view Of The most startling
cxnosnrc Of all. that the entire Police Depart
mcnt as now constituted is vast conspiracy.
against good government held together by
perjury of the most unblushins and andacio''s
character from the guilt Of which hardly II
member of the force who has been on the wit
ness stand seems free. ii j. not 10 be wondered
~ that public condemnation Of the department
should be- angry and sweeping Nor Is 1t strange
thar in the general Impotence at the continn
ance Of abuses gross and outrageous enough !"
oxcite civil revolution Il long suffering people
should say in their haste: Clean ou' 'he "ho'e
.dcnortment from top 10 bottom. and make n
new start with II new system ana heW ihe"
PINT op the whole II will be better 10 proceed
slowly and with dcliberation. and not nh"er'ahe
unon the IMPULSE Of the moment 10 treat with
The most drastic remedy AZ hand the malignant
discas, which through years OF neglect ana III
punitv has fastened upon the body pohtlc. ihc
whole question OF police reorganization - vi
such inheritance rs 10 invite the FULLEST o'S
cussion: but more important than full discus
sion are discriminating JuueIh'u'' ""i''' '''""
candor and practical business sense.
There will necessarily be- differences OF oph'
ION among citizens on this subject, and II -
oult, conceivable that they may De HOTTEST
differences and entirely apart from cohSdera
tlons OF partisan advantage or the promotion VI
the plans Of individual leaders. Tie hrst hhe
Of division is naturally drawn upon the ques
ton whether police administration should De ny
a non-parilsan--or as otherwise described. Dl-
nartisan-commission or 10y single responsible
.xacu,ivc II il an open question which plan
would lac more effective in giving us. what good
ci,izens Of all parties desire an honest and EN-
Gent police force entirely separated from po'
lltical influences and free from partisan con
troll 1t Is question Of too much Importance
70 be hastily decided for the probability Is mat
fine system to be established now VIII continue
in operation for long time. ana all ci'iZchs
are interested in It's being made as nearly per
Zee: as possible 1t Is hardly To b" expected III
existing political conditions that the discussion
can be carried on upon plane cn'ircly ABOVE
party and faction. Appeals TO parllsanship ana
prejudice. to fractional animosiIies ana personal
feeling. are inevitable in such discussions, but
they should not be permitted 10 Influence action
or control the result.
II is not unlikely that the occasion may b"
seized by schcmng politicians and ambitious
leaders as an opportunity for Initiating some
ingenious and far-reaching plan for ultimate
partisan or fractional advantage or personal az
crandizcment. 1t would hardly he reasonable,
indeed, TO expect 1t to be otherwise. The police
machinery Of this great city contains such enor-
nous possibilities for political uses That IL would
be idle TO expect the men VINO i've by pontics
and upon parties to keep their hands away from
II so long a chance Is open TO them 10 gam
control Of II by any device or subtlety or In
trigue Good citizens OF all parties have com
mon interest in defeating the purposes or such
schemers, whatever may be their party ama-
tons We believe we give expression TO the
universal desire Of this class-thc overwhelming
majority wher we say that the objective point
Of legislation on this subject should be TO put
the police system, its administration and all us
machinery out Of the reach OF any party or rae
ton and make It what IT should be-the Impair
tial and effective right arm OF justice, the pro-
tector and guardian Of life and property the
energetic pursuer Of criminals and the relentless
foe Of crime.
That is what the people want, and they want
nothing short OF that. They do not want a Re
publican Legislature to consider at all the ne
cessites or supposed necessities Of the Repub-
lican party, or any faction Of It, In this town
I'm reorganizing the police. If the question were
put TO the Republican voters Of the city to-day
whether II their choice were given them, they
would have police system absolutely under
Republican control or a system absolutely d-
vorced from politics. ninetenths OF them would
say: 1--WE want neither a Republican police nor
"a Tammany police, but police free from the
control or the intermcddng Of either party"
That is the spirit in which we believe the cur
rent discussion should be conducted. Poll
ticians are quick to suspect Interior motives and
attribute partisan purposes TO those who differ
with them on questions Of this character. II
would not be strange II in the present discussion
there should be more less small politics with
charges and cOunter-charges, elimination and
recrlminatiOn. We may deprecate II, but cannot
prevent It, The thing for the Legislature TO
set before Itself and keep constantly In mind
Is that what the people OF this city want Is an
honest. efficient police system, absolutely indie
pendent Of politics, parties and factions. Moth
ing less will content them. Whether 1t Is single
headed or quadrupleheaded does not matter 80
long as 1t Is that The discussion should be