The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-21

will not trust anyone but a German. If
the mayor considers Lieut.. Boerner his
chief of police, 1T is asked, why hold
Some one else responsible When things
go wrong?
Acting upon his own peculiar ideas Of
how a police department should be
conducted Mayor Kiefer, not long ago,
reduced the detective force to five men,
bers. 1t sometimes takes several days
to investigate one case called to the
attention of the department. When five
cases are reported, and for months
there has been four times this number
every day, then the entire detective
force Is busy, and the subsequently re-
ported cases have to be neglected. But
Mayor Kiefer thinks he knows all
about how many detectives are needed
to run the city Minneapolis, it is said
has twelve regular detectives. and
wien the occasion demands can detail
twenty additional men with detective
experience. Perhaps Mayor K1efer fig
ures that with himself at the head OF
the department only q handful Of
Others is needed. The citizens are be-
ginning to feel differently, however,
and on all sides the opinion is express
ed that something of g. definite nature
Should be done concerning the police
force. Members of the force claim that
Chief GoSs and Chief Schweitzer would
get along all right if given chance.
and they want to know why the mayor
does not give them the reins, even if
an acknowledgment Of his own inabil-
ity should hurt his pride, and let them
conduct the department as their ex-
perience teaches them. Then, IL crime
continued to flourish and murder went
on unpublished, the mayor and the pub
lie could know where the responsibility
belonged.
Chief Goss was asked yesterday
about the criticism the public is level
ing at the police department, but re-
fused to discuss the matter. Neither
would Chief Schweitzer talk about the
matter.
You can say for me-" said Chief
Cess that absolutely refuse to dis
cuss the matter in any way"
patrolman. however. when prom
Used that his name would be withheld
was not so backward about stating his
opinion. Said he:
''Of course there is - to pay, and
why wouldn't there be? There is not
man on the force that knows how
long he is going to hold his job. You
can't blame a man for looking out for
his personal welfare. If an Officers does
not make any arrests he does not get
into any trouble. Every time a thief
or a drunken loafer has 'hollered'
about mistreatment when he was ar
rested the officer in the case has been
half to death that his resignation
would be demanded. The public can
rot expect good police service when
things are this way.
There has not been such deInoraliza-
ton in the police department within
my recollection, and don't you suppose
the crooks know this? They know st.
Paul is a soft thing now. and why
wouldn't they tear the town upside
down? 1t is pretty tough to wear big
star and have to pass a lot of thieves,
who stand giving you the laugh, be-
ca use they know you dare not run
them In, but this is what half Of the
isclicemen have to stand nowadays All
a drunken tough or clever thief has
TO do now when a policeman lays a
hand on him is to make some threat
about going to the mayor, and. if there
is one chance in a hundred. the cop
per" will not make the arrest. No
body knows who is chief of police or
| whose orders are to be obeyed. Every
'bcdy's got the razzle-dazzle, and the
/ cIly way to get along is to walk along
! on your beat and see no more than
/ you just have to-"