The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-05-17
NEW CHIEF TAKES
CHARGE OF POLICE
Capt. w. E. Wier Outlines His
Policy
A CONSERVATIVE COURSE
Chief VIII Not Make Frivolous Arrests
or Arrests on insufficient Evidence.
Explains Birmingham Conditions
From Police Viewpoint.

Chief of Police William e. Wier yes
terday took full charge of the police de-
partment and set the newly-eleeted spe-
oial officers to work. They are Patton,
Bodeker and Hamilton. Yesterday after
noon he was asked to outline briefly his
policy In conducting the department, as
the people of Birmingham are very anx-
lous to know what the new chief intends
doing
Referring to the editorial in The Age
Herald of Thursday morning, In which
1t was shown that the number of arrests
In Birmingham had been out of proper
ton to the size of the population, Chief
Wier said:
At will call the policemen together Mon
day and talk to them In a body, outlining
to them what 1 want them to do In
general way. As to my policy, the first
thing will be to give the people of Biz
mingham the very best protection possi-
BILE for the amount of money appropriate
ed for the department. l will have all
complaints and communications referred
to the special men to investigate and
report on at once. I will have record
kept of all these matters and demand
prompt report by the men.
AS to Arrests.
ST shall attempt to have as few friv-
olous arrests or arrests without sufficient
evidence to convict as possible, in order
to reduce the percentage of arrests to the
number of population. 1 will also at
- 1t
petty offenses and not have everything
dragged into the court. But shall give,
of course, every attention to all kinds OF
lawlessness, and have the offenders
brought to justice. 1 will not, however,
have them arrested until there Is sum
Client evidence to convict.
my office will be open day and night,
and citizens can call at any hour and find
either myself or my representative there.
When necessary l will be glad for citizens
to call me at my residence and in serious
cases 1 will give my personal attention to
them.
I'VE badly need more men to properly
patrol the residence and business portions
of the city. The three special men will be
kept busy investigating the burglaries'
thefts, highway robberies and such crimes
and I shall attempt to have patrolmen
keep their beats in order. | will let each
policeman know that hold him response
BILE for any breach of the peace commits
ted on his beat, but do not want him to
make arrests unless he thinks he can con-
Wet the prisoner in the courts"
Prisoners Turned Loose.
Yesterday afternoon the records in the
Police court were examined and they
showed that 25 per cent of the people
brought before Judge Feagln were turned
loose, although during the past few weeks
the percentage has been considerably less,
probably not running as high as 10 per
cent
As has been often explained, Birming-
ham Is not like any other city in the
world when 1t comes to the arrests made
by the policemen. Frequently the pris-
oners are from outside places and come
to Birmingham to get drunk. Fully 30
per cent of those arrested are not living
In Birmingham and over half of that per-
eentage are not living in any of the
suburbs. This fact and the fact also that
there are a number of mines which en-
ploy convicts In the nelghborhood of Bir-
mingham should be taken into considera-
ton in making comparisons of the crime
here and elsewhere.