New-York tribune., 1902-04-27
STOCKHOLM.

| cult problems in organizing police force is to
provide incentives and checks adequate to pre-
vent corruption in the discharge of these and
similar duties. Underlying this problem is the
element of that relationship between the police
officer and the public, which is expressed by
the English word servant" 1 state it thus be-
cause I aware whether other languages
possess a precisely equivalent term The
French. for instance. have word to CORE
spond with it. And do not know whether the
word has exactly the same meaning in New
York that 1t bears in Lordcn. Every police
officer is the servant of the public. His official
conduct therefore, should be marked only
by integrity but by courtesy. The courtesy may
be secured BY proper discipline and a healthy
public opinion, but the maintenance Of integrity
requires something more. And with this l vii.
deal presently. But first let me strongly urge
the Importance OF creating and fostering a
wholesome esprit de corps within the force
True discipline will do much to this end. I do
military discipline. for that is poor
business; but discipline which influences char
acter. and not conduct merely In the forma-
tion Of regiment all that is nta is to OBJ
tain men who physically At for service and
military discipline will in due time make SOL
diers Of them But In organizing e police force
IL is essential to select men OF good character.
II is desirable. OF course. that they should be
physically upright, but IL is essential that they
should be upright in higher sense. No polfti-
cal considerations therefore should influence
the selection of candidates the promotion of
officers The policeman is the servant Of the
public-not OF this or that section OF the pub
lic-and the public In this wider sense has no
politics Therefore. 1t is that in London. for
example. no person belonging TO the Metropoii-
tan Police force" may by word, message, writ
ing or in any other manner endeavor to per-
suade any elector to give. dissuade any
elector from giving. his vote for the choice Of
any person to be a member to serve in Parlia-
ment." And the statute which contains these
words goes to provide that any offend
ing in this way shall forfeit the of 300.
to be recovered by any person who will sue for
the same. and one moiety of the fine goes to the
informer. [ may add that this prohibition IS
scrupuously observed by the commanders OF
police and all the superior officers of the force.
The first point. then, is the selection OF candi-
dates for the force No influence should be al
lowed to secure the admission OF men Of bad or
doubtful character. The next disderatum is to
create a sound esprit de corps. II the public
opinion inside a police force is apt the officer
who does dishonorable dishonest other
wise wrongful act. the task of maintaining a
high standard Of duty becomes practica Bile. And
this is not "a counsel of perfection" We ali
know how soon a garden may become a wilder
ness Of weeds. We know. also. how easy It is.
without any special effort, but merely by in
creasng watchfulness and care. to keep It per
fecty clean and neat. And any one who has
had experience in managing large school or
police force has learned similar lesson In the
sphere Of human nature. To proceed here TO
give practical details TO cite Illustrative Incl
dents would involve treatise and not merely
an article within the limits assigned to
But weeds ion't corrupt the flowers In lax
den; they merely choke them. Whereas hera
the danger is not so much that the bad men In
a force should outnumber the good but that they
should corrupt them. | hasten on therefore to
deal with this element and will treat it in fuller
detail | assume that the Chief of Police and
his immediate neutenants Of position
and character. men who are themselves above
and who command the confidence and
respect of their subordinates | assume, also,
that they have exercised such intelligence and
care In bringing in candidates that the bad men
are minOrty-blaCk sheep In good flock. The
problem then, is how the evil influence eXerted
by such men can be checked, and how they them