The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-03-17
ONE NEED OF RURAL TOWNS.
SuGgestiOns for Improvement In the
Matter of Police Protection.

Matter of Police Protection.
Renewed attention is being called to
the growth of hoodlumism in the rural
districts of Massachusetts,, to the in
creased insecurity of property and even
of life, and serious thought is being
given to the means of preventing this
increase of lawlessness. The difficulty
arises in large degree from the feeble
ness of the small towns. They have
lost much of their popula ton, and in
some instances large part of their
property. With the decline of the ma
tive population has come in foreign
element which neglccts the training of
its young people and which is not in
spired by that regard for law and order
which are the essential of peace, even
if it is regarded as very old-fashioned
AS long as the towns continue to de-
cline and nothing is done to connteract
the present tendency, so long will this
| menace increase. 1t is even said that in
some towns it is not safe for woman
to be out unattended after dark. This
seems almost incredible in "law-abidine
Massachusetts" as we fondly regard
| our state. But there is no denying the
facts.
Now, it is manifestly impossible for
the towns to maintain regular police
force. They have their constables.
elected by the town meetings, under To-
cal influence, more or less, relying for
office upon the favor of their neighbors,
| all of them well acquainted with the
| people of the locality and usually of
harmless and nonaggressive type. The
hooIlum element does not stand in awe
of such an arm OF the law. Such po-
| lice force is weak and contemplate in
| the opinion of those who have the nerve
| to commit the offenses which are COM
planned of. Under the law a constable
has no authority outside of his own
town. 1t is impossible, under presen,
arrangements, for two or more towns
| to combine for the maintenance of
| joint police force.
Perhaps the law might be changed
! just as it was changed to permit en-
! ployes on railroad trains to exercise po-
| lice powers in different towns i'm order
to give them authority over disorderly
| persons on their cars. Or such an ar
rangement might be legalized as that
whereby different towns unite in the
support of a superintendent of schools
| But such combination or introduction
of help from outside of the towns is es-
sential for the preservation of property
and life. There is the suggestion that
the district police force might be en-
larged so as to have oversight of several
towns, the districts being small! enough
to make such supervision effectual
This would involve an invasion of the
old ideas of local self-government,b but
it would afford protection where it is
much needed.
1t is evident that our old theory of To-
cal democracies existing in the towns
must be modified to meet the exigencies
of the times. The state is the superior
body. Therefore the state cannot permit
the territory of any town to be used for
hoodlums and criminals who sally forth
| from their retreat for the sake of prey
ing upon the property of the people of
other towns or for the disturbance OF
their neighbors. This evil has grown
to such an extent that it demands rec
ognition by the lawmakers and condi-
tons ought to be established which
shall check the tendency of recent years
in rural communities.-Fitch Sen.
tinel.