The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-11-19
CHIEF LINDSEY TALKS.
Some Of the Things That Al the
Police Force
TELLS WHgRE IHE LAW IS EEAK.

The Mayor, ne says Ought TO be Ex-
0meIO Chairman or he Police Board
one Populist AZ least isn't going to
make any trouble about his succession
when his term expires, and that is Chief
Of Police Lindsey
s.When the new board is appointed"
he said today, II shall hand in my resig-
nation at its very first meeting 50 il can
accept it when it wants to. They viii no
doubt have a man picked out to take the
place Immediately have no desire 20
stay or keep the spoils away from the
victor.
Il don't think the metropolitan police
law is Il failure but it could be improved
IN many ways. This thing Of having a
police department Of one political color
aud a city administration Of another il
most unsatisfactory. They can never
work together in that way We have
tried it IN Topeka for two years, and We
know.
II should like to see the law changed
so that the mayor Of each city il the
state should be chairman Of the polio q
board ex-Ofiicio. Then let one each of
the two other political parties have
the rem aiming places on the board. In
that way the mayor would have a great
deal to say about the police force and
still not be in absolute control As it
now IS the mayor really knows nothing
but hearsay-and very poor hearsay-
about the workings of the commissioners.
He has no representation with US and VI e
have no re presentation with him or the
council. How can any harmony be
established that way? For Instance,
since he has been elected, Mayor Har-
rison has been in the police station but
once and that only for a few minutes
lie has been invited here and to the
meetings Of the board, but for sons rea-
hp ha n No
wonder he doesn't know anything about
it.
ssThen it should be compulsory that
the chief be consulted before appoint
ments to the force are made by the board
or any changes made whatever. The
present board has been kind enough to
take me into its councils, but it didn't
have to.
ssThere should also be another air tight
regulation that the police departm Mt
should be entirely nOnpartisan aud The
Eatrolmen not allowed to mix in politics
say they should not vote, but I believe it
would be better If they dldn't.
'sW hen police department is as big
political factor 1t now is in the cities
where the law is in vogue, there is so
much feeling over il that a policeman is
sometimes almost delicate about doing
his duty for fear he Will be abused for
il. And again as election approaches he
is likely to shirk his duty more than ever
for fear Of stirring up party opposition
/ don't think they have in Topeka but
it would be very natural thing for
so me men to do
After the election two years go when
the Republicans found out that they had
to go. so the officers now with Us tell me,
the policemen simply laid down their
work and allowed things to take their
course until they should be uficialy dis
missed. That is one of the harms Of the
law al it how IS. On the morning after
the late election. had all the men sent
up 10 me and told them that while we
we're defeated aud must 90 soon, there
must be no Sinking whatever
"A policeman should be kept for his
worth, not because he is a mem Der of
any political party We have still with
as three mem bers Of the old Republican
force. Tim Donovan. Steele and Dagg
were kept because they were good men.
A police officer should be discharged
only for incompetency or bad behavior.
That is the only way to retain a good po-
lice department.