The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-11-08
POLICE FORCE WEAK.
Why: Because It is Run on Tam
many Principles.
INCAPABLES WITH 4 "PULL !"

Ins and Outs OF Crime and Criminals
Are Discarded.
The JOURNAL has received the follow
ing letter:
To the Editor of the State Journal.
While the politician rejoices or grieves
over the outcome of the recent elections,
the attention of the thoughtful citizen is
attracted by the general carelessness
with which the city affairs are being con-
Quoted
Every day the newspapers appear with
glaring headlines about some bold rob-
berry" or another woman robbed or
similar phrase. and go on telling how it
happened, giving description of the
offender if he has been seen, and end up
by saying that mo clue has been found
to lead 10 the discovery of the perpetra-
tor of the deed"
| When the police never venture more
than block or two from the Avenue, as
though they depended on the throng for
protection, how are they expected to see
the depredations committed outside of
these limits, which are indisputably the
greater part of those committed within
the cityf
! The residence portions of the city are
entitled to as good protection as the bust
ness streets.
There are also numerous ordinances,
which need not be mentioned here, that
are continually violated, simply because
the officers pay no attention to those dis
tricts. If these can not be enforced they
should be repealed and not put on the
city statutes simply for violation.
The citizen OF Topeka justly expects
protection for himself and family. and il
the present force of officers is insufficient
or incapable of anording this protection
the matter should be attended to by those
in whom the authority is vested.
A CITIZEN.
The fault and remedy do not lie en-
tirely in what the citizen suggests. 1t is
impossible to maintain as large force
as would be Necessary to patrol the whole
residence portion of the city. Topeka
covers enough ground to require fifty
men TO guard it at night, if all the resi-
dence parts of town were to be patrolled.
The way to secure protection for resi-
dents and residences is not to attempt to
prevent hurglaries by watching every
house, but By making capture and pun
ishment after the deed SO certain that
none will dare to perpetrate the bur
glaries.
How is this to be done? By watching
not the houses, but the crooks. Men are
wanted on the police force, and badly
needed, too, who are thoroughly ac-
qrainted with the criminal classes. Not
men who are appointed because thOy
control thirty votes in the Third ward''
OF any other ward. bu: men who are
chosen for their experience and thief
taking ability. The present force of in
competents is due TO the practice OF re-
warding political workers. They are not
policemen they are politicians.
There is crying need for men like Chief
Wilkerson and Captain Gardiner in the
rank and ii. of the police force as we'll
as at the head of il.
These men know nearly every crimi-
] nal in the city and many in the state
Many of the patroinen under them
know probably half dozen apiece.
When Captain Gardiner was chief, the
l force of men under him were not long
/ in arresting the criminal when a crime
1 was committed Gardiner himself know:
how to catch people and he WIS permit
81 ted to have men under him who made /
j their business 10 know about the crlml
n nal classes. An instance of the FOOLS:
B partisanship which has ruined the police
S force was the dismissal of Steele. Ii
q was discharged because he took part il
IS a Democratic meeting! although he hat
81 served for years satisfactorily and knew
III every crook in the city.
III An instance of the small political hick
81 erings allowed to interfere with the eff
Ell cheney of the police force may be cite
in the last appointment, that of ex-Stree
Car Conductor Hobson. There seems I
be no denial of the fact that he was aE
) pointed to carry the vote of the street Ca
4 men for Burdge; the appointment faile
of its purpose, somewhat, however, d
= the street car men voted against Burdg
because he was introduced to them b
Senator Sterne whom they accuse OF de
feating the bill for vestibules on stree
cara. The entire street car force ha
n turned against the Republican party 0
that account
, There are mum Der of men in Topek
suitable for police work-men OF eXpe
rieAce and skill. Persons who have a
inexnaustible fund of knowledge Sbou
the criminals and who, when crime
committed. can Immediately strike
clue from what they know of the move
ments and habits of the criminal class i
D Topeka. But these were passed by an
turned down to make room for men VIII
had merely carried torches and "hol
Tered" We look on Temmany rule wit
scorn, but Tammany carries the pc
lice department of New York city ex
actly on the same principle that 1t Is car
ried on in Topeka, namely, to use it as
reward for political services.
Much admiration is expressed for MI
Roosevelt by Topeka people. If GU
police force were conducted as Nj
Roosevelt conducts his. it would be
great Improvement.
The Municipal league complains tina
it can ind nothing to do. Why doesn
it agitate the question of appointin
policem en- according 20 fitness and meri
instead Of because they belong to GER al
fambeau clubs or have d personal pu
,. of some sort? -
Officer Hobson may make a gooo
policeman with experience, and is, Ill
questionably, as good now as tn
majority of tho force. BIT
Topeka cannot afford to nurs
a kindergarten training school for pc
licemen while plenty of graduates of tn
j. art of hunting down criminals may b
e had for the same money. Some of thes
may develop into good officers eventua
" but while they are learning the tow