The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-15
WILL LEION THE POLICE.
TACOMA COryCIL COMMITTEE be-
GINS Az INVESTIGATION.
Numerous BaPglaries ana Hoid-Ups
Induce the Belief That somethfng
II Wrong with the Force md
They Propose to Find What IL Ii.

Special Dispatch 20 the post-rntelligencer.
TACOMA. Dec 1.-THE health and po-
lice committee OF the city council has be-
gun an investigation which may lead 20 q
general stirring-up Of the police depart
nent. Chairman J. NJ Bel OF the COM
r1irtee had called meeting for this after
noon, but owing TO the unavoidable alb
sence Of two OF the five members or the
committee, the sitting was postponed 70
tomorrow The three members present.
Bell, Chandler ard Scully. however, took
advantage of the fact that they were to-
gether and Informally began their intend
ed task by calling upon the civil service
commission, where they gathered SUCH
data as they want n this department from
Secretary and Member N. p. Buiger.
What has led TO this rather extraordin-
airy move on the part OF the committee Is
the series Of robberies. burglarses and
hoid-ups Of the past few weeks. which.
so far az indications give enlightenment.
have not been materially checked. but
continue night after night with alarming
frequency and regularity. The detective
branch Of the local force has done excel
len. work so far it's members have been
able, several notorious characters having
been put out OF the way of doing further
injury. but for all this, nearly every day
brings reports of new depredations-
Quite a number of clever arrests and
OF the detective force, but ii seems to have
cut little II any figure with these left cut
side the Jail. and. instead Of putting stop
10 IL. 1t seems to rather add a xest for
fresh outrages.
1t is this condition Of affairs In the city
that has led the health and police COM
rlitttee to undertake a searching inquiry
into the methods Of the police department,
the standing OF its members as 10 expe-
rienee and ability ana all the facts Ia con-
nection with the selection of the men, in
the hope of determining Just where ''the
screw is loose" For the reason that the
committee has barely begun its work and
as yet has secured no definite information,
It's members have little to say on the SUBJ
ject. but they make no secret of their in
feniion TO thoroughly sift the matter TO
the end that better police protection may
be secured
The civil service sysem is destined to cut
quite figure IN the Investigation, and
among other lines of inquiry the commit
tee will look into the appointment of pa
trolmen from the merit system eligible list
10 learn whether this is In any way TO be
held accountable for the lack of proper
aud adequate protection to property.
When Post-Intelligencer reporter
called at the office of TN civil service corr
mission today and asked for the list of pa
trolmen and other police officers. ii was
on the force. not including the chief, ,hir-
teen have been appointed since the eligible
list has been exhausted. These thirteen
men are ali patroimen, the detective force
having been selected from the civil ser
vice list.
From what is to be gathered from the
city fathers, II ey at present make no pre-
tense To locating tie blame for these con-
tinual surglaries ana robberies other than
to say II certainly lies with the police de-
rartment One member called attention
TO the fact that the outrages were COM
nffted in the heart of the city where there
is supposed to be better police protection
than in the suburbs, and in fact where
there Is fairly good patrol service so far
as the number of policemen is concerned.
he argues that something is wrong either
with the distribution Of the men or the
men themselves. or such would not be the
case In talking Of the matter this MEM
Der said:
We do not want to condemn anybody
unheard, but We intend 10 sift this business
10 the bottom and determine where the
blame lies. We will then lay the result OF
our investigation before the council. with
such Recommendation "a we shall deem
VIII best serve to mend matters. Just
think or it-five burglaries In tho same
neighborhood in one night Yes / am
familiar with the good work of the detec-
tive force In recovering stolen goods and
III erfesting the guilty parties. but II does
not check these otItrages. What we need
as ! understand IT, is force OF men whose
knowledge OF crime and criminals will pre-
vent burgiaries and hoid-ups. II Is easy
enough 10 locate these criminals and order
them out of town before they have an OPP
portnnlty TO work. IL they are known 10
the police. However. whoever Is to blame
something must at once be done 10 check
this epidemic OF petty crime. and we feel
that as the committee more or less in
charge of the police force. 1t is our duty
to act"
The committee Will meet tomorrow aft
ernoon. when its members viii probably
outline the manner OF getting at The facts
and at once begin work to that end The
committee is made up OF Members Bell.
chairman; Chandler Smith, Scully and
Freeman: all Republicans. excepting Free