The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-01
POLICE CORRUPTION.

The Investigations of the Lexow COM
mittee in New York and the work of
the Civic league in Chicago are showing
up the police in those two cities in an
unenviable light In the former city
DR.. Parkhurst has been the prime
mover and through his efforts there has
been exposed most reprehensible state
Of affairs among the police, the inves-
legations of the Lexow committee hav-
ing brought to light the fact that keep
ers of brothels, green goods men and
others of like class have had immunity
from disturbance and arrest by the po-
lice upon the payment of what may be
termed an initiation fee, several hun
bred dollars. and dues of so much a
month. Some even suspicion Superin
tendent Byrnes, the reason assigned be-
ing that such things could not be with
out his knowledge eventually.
The present agitation over police cor
ruption in New York and Chicago will
tend to improve matters very materi-
ally; but at the same time it should be
remembered that the vices attaching
to some of the police do not attach to
all, and that black sheep are always
the most conspicuous in every flock.
The evils complained of cannot be
cured until their cause is known. The
cause assigned for the evil in New York
is partisan politics. The World says
1.-The evil lies in the systematic system
that carries partisan politics into the
police administration" The same view
is taken by Commissioner Kerwin. He
says: Politics pervades all its
branches, and until the force is wholly
divorced from all political affiliations
do not believe it can be made what it
ought to be-"
The consequence of this is that the
people of New York are paying heavy
taxes for police protection and at the
same time those by whom it should be
afforded are prostituting their positions
for the purpose of private gain, to get
which they allow those who are break
ing the laws to do so with the assurance
of immunity if they pay for it.
A system under which all this can be
done is wrong. If police hold their places
through political influence then an
influence stronger than theirs can cause
their removal if they do not bend to it.
Therein lies the evil. The first thing
policeman must look out for is his Gin
fiuence;;" the welfare of the public will
come next, perhaps.
Commissioner Kerwin says the "aver-
age policeman ought not to be expected
10 be better than the average man in
any walk of life" But he should be
because he is chosen, or supposed to be,
for certain qualities that specially fit
him for performing the duties required
of a man in the place he is to fill. To
perform these duties properly the very
first qualifications demanded are truth
and honesty. The public have d right
to demand that policemen shall be
above the average man in the COM
mon walks of life for the simple reason
they are picked body of men,
far fewer in number than those
in the common walks of life.
and hence the average should be higher.
The World says: 1.-The police commits
sioners must be broken along with the
captains and sergeants, and at the head
Of the force must be placed single
chief with full executive powers and di-
rect responsibility to the people as well
as to the mayor" But it is doubtful
if such a reform will be introduced in
New York.
Let the people watch their public
servants, for the experience of New
York shows that the police will not
watch over them