New-York tribune., 1902-04-27

| selves can be detected. IL is one of immense
| difficulty, and great Judgment and shrewdness.
| combined with unseeping vigilance. are needed
| to cope with it. Any system of espionage 10
| fatal But the same results may be attained In
another way, without either tmpairing discipline
or destroying confidence. Much may be done oy
judicious change of officers: but the best solu-
ton Of the difficulty is the formation OF good
! detective branch. This may seem very simple
matter, but in fact II is Of the most intri-
cate problems in police administration. II the
detective officers be separated so Thoroughly
| from the ordinary police TO constitute prac-
tically different force the hostility to which
such system will inevitably give rise ought to
make undetected corruption difficult or impossi-
Bile. But you might as we'll have two separate
forces alb initio; for the branch will not
only neglect those duties which specially
assigned to the other. but the resulting hostility
Will show itself in thWartng the execution Of
them. G., the prevention of crime and the pur-
suit of criminals. This Is of course, in special
sense the function of a detective branch but II
is plainly within the sphere Of duty of every con-
stable, and if it Is to be left TO the detectives,
you must double your force at once.
The key the problem promote a spirit
Of rivalry without hostility; to create distinct
esprit de corps in the detective branch Of the
force, while maintaining the unity of the force
whole and insisting on harmonious coop
Grafton between all sections of it. These words
are easily writer. but I have already tndi-
Gated, the realization OF them IS most difficult
But though difficult. II is perfectly practicable.
The illustration Of separate regiments IN the
same brigade. or separate brigades in the same
army, may seem ap,, but as matter OF TACT II
Is misleading. Indeed military conceptions OF
organization and discipline generally harm
ful in the sphere OF police. The one element
common to both is unity Of supreme control.
The most difficult, the most responsible. and In
compare bly, the most important OF police duties
are those that relate crime, and therefore they
should be the special charge Of the chief officer
OF the force Other police duties be ade
quately controlled by a general supervision:
these require personal attention This arrange
ment will go far to that absolute unity
of administration and discipline which Is
sentiaI to police work And this element OF
unity should permeate the force. When come
to details, Of course local circumstances and con-
ditlons must be taken into account. but the prin
Ciple must be kept steadily in view In the
of small community. with police force of q
Of officers the chief would naturally deal
Immediately with each Of his subordinates. and
a chief who could not by his personal influence
prevent not only corruption but friction. would
be unfit for his position. But this ideal state Of
things is impossible in great centres of popula-
ton. The city must divided irt districts. or
divisions and each district must b. in certain
sense an imperium in imperio- And here we
come TO one OF the paradOxes of police admins
trat ation, namely, the necessity of decentralIztng
and at the time Of Centralizing. Every
district should be a separate unit. and yet a
part OF large unit. II should have its own
chief officer superintendent is the title give
t. the position in EnGland-aud, of course. what
is true Of the chiefs is less true of the super
intendents. They must be thoroughly COM
petent and thoroughly trustworthy: otherwise IL
Is idle to expect that these qualities will charac-
terize their subordinatss. Bur a superiutendents
subordinates will be numbered by hundreds. and
between him and the consta bles other ranks
Will intervene In England call them inspeC-
tors and. sergeants. | will deal here only with
the inspectors These again must be good men.
both officially and morally. At this stage we
reach the ideal state Of things possible in small
force; for every inspector ought to have close
personal knowledge of his s1IbOrdinates and their
work All this implies merely that some 3 or I
per cent of the staff OF Il police force shall be
experienced and efficient police officers of excel
lent character and in any force that is not quita
beyond redemption a much larger proportion !!
Of such men easily be found.
But this is all The detective branch |
should be the d'eitp O nd /
each superintendent will have under his imme- |
diate orders Il certain number of officers belong
Ing to it; and TO these officers all the important !
criminal cases will be intruSted. ANY inquiry !
however. Of kind likely tempt corrupt !
or impecuniOus weak officer TO fail in his ,
duty may at any time be transferred to the |
detective branch; and that branch IL properly !
organized. may supply yet a further check If /
a superintendent finds cause to suspect the In |