The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-05
Members of the Police and Fire
Departments.
MAY APPEAL TO THE BOARD
VOTES OF THREE MEMBERS
NECESSARY TO REINSTATE.
Chief of Police Paul Submits the An
nual Report of His Department
and Estimate of the Amount
Which Will Be Required to Main
tain the Department During 1897.

The meeting of the board of police
and fire commissioners last evening
was devoted largely to the discussion
Of proposed rule 1, defining the powers
Of the chiefs of each of the depart
ments in regard to disciplining and
dismissing members of the depart
ments. Mr.. Cohn submitted the follow
ing, which was finally adopted:
Rule l. The chief of either depart
ment shall have the authority, and it
shall be his duty, whenever any sub
ordinate officer or member of his de-
partment is guilty of wilfully violating
any of the rules of his respective de-
partment, or of other conduct prejudi-
cial to the good order, welfare or dis
clpline of his department, to impose
upon such member punishment for
such offense as in its nature may
prove applicable either by reprimand
or fine, not to exceed SO, suspension
from duty without pay not to exceed
80 days, or dismissal from the depart
ment
Rule ?. Incompetency or incapacity
in the service shall be sufficient ground
for dismissal
Rule 9. The chief of the department
shall file with the board at its first
meeting thereafter a brief report of
his reasons for imposing fine or sus-
pension for dismissing any member
of his department.
Rule 4. Unless by vote of three
members of the board at said meeting
they decide to review the action of the
chief in the case reported to them it
shall be considered as final and con-
elusive in all cases. The person SO
fined, suspended or dismissed, shall
have the right to a hearing before this
board, if demanded, as to the justice
of his fine, suspension or dismissal.
Mr.. Cohn spoke in support of the rule
as submitted, arguing that to insure
proper discipline it was necessary that
the chiefs be clothed with power in
Dictated in the rule as presented.
Mr.. Cohn was supported by Mr.
Grant, who thought for the good of the
department the chiefs must have power
to dismiss.
Dininny wasn't in favor of giving the
chiefs so much power, as it might lead
to men being dismissed for personal
reasons, and Mr.. Noble, while hoping
there would be no more trials. thought
the men were entitled to a hearing by
the board before being dismissed
1t was then explained that the sys-
TEN which obtained heretofore was
that the chief might suspend a men,
Der pending a hearing before the board
and that it required three members to
-
cused. Under the proposed rule the
chief could dismiss, the man could
then have hearing and it would re-
quire the vote of three members of
the board to reinstate.
THE CHIEFS HEARD FROM.
Chief Paul was asked for his opin-
ion on the matter and he said it was
not necessary for the chief to have alb
solute power of dismissal. He was
satisfied to have any action of that
kind subject to the approval of the
beard.
Chief Devine was invited to state
his views, and began by saying that
the trial system which had hitherto
obtained was the curse of his depart
ment. 1t was essential that the chief
have authority to dismiss. Mr. Devine
was a little heated and very emphatic
in his manner, and Chairman Noble
interrupted to suggest that it might be
for the good Of the department that
Mr.. Devine's remarks be made in ex-
ecutiVe session. Mr.. Devine and the
members of the board concurring, an
executive session was ordered, while
the fire chief made his talk, and when
the reporters were invited to return
the rule was passed as given above.
NO CHANGE NECESSARY.
MI OOuil lAlSA lliOOSHlr IL NOulu De d
good thing to repeal the rule prohibit
ing police officers, except detectives,
from being sent out of the city in pur-
suiT of criminals, but reference to the
rule showed that it was prohibitory
of officers being sent out of the state
and that no mention of the city in that
regard was made, and the rule was
allowed to stand as it was.
Some discussion was had as to the
advisability of providing a room in
which poor people who applied to the
police for a nights lodgings might be
quartered instead of putting them in
the "bughouse" with the criminals, as
had hitherto been done. The sentiment
was unanimous in favor of adopting
the suggestion, but it was dropped
without action.
CHIEF PAUL'S ANNUAL REPORT.
Chief of Police Paul here presented
the annual report of his department
for the u months ending Dec. 81, which
was quite a voluminous document, the
most interesting part being as fol-