The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-07
POLICE METHODS IN PANAMA
Blue Goats of the Isthmus Law Unto Them
selves
BY MERRILL A. LEAGUE
Special Correspondent of the Morning News.

Panama, r. p. Dec. 22.-The most
the police force. In intelligence, capa-
bility and personnel it is vastly super
Tor to either the army or the navy, and
for it the populace has infinitely more
respect than it has for either of the
others. This force is composed of about
800 men, each a good specimen of phys
teal manhood. distributed throughout
the various cities and towns of the 18TH
mus. 1t is commanded by Chief Ar
range, who has his headquarters in this
city and who directs it's operation with
ability In Panama, Colon and other
larger cities in the republic the force
is sufficiently large to certainly pre-
serve police order, while in the smaller
towns and villages from two to six
men are stationed. No town is too
small to boast little building, over the
entrance to which is sign bearing the
legend inspection de Policia,' and
while the force is essentially a noncom-
batant organization, it does it's work so
we'll that public order is most excellent
" maintained.
The personnel of this force is re-
stricted in so far as restriction is pos
sible. to native isthmians. Occasionally
there is encountered a policeman of
nure negro blood, but while the entire
torce is dark-skinned. the native ele-
n,ent is far in the majority. Some
members come from the southern de-
rartments of the Colombian federation
where a larger, sturder and more reso-
lutte race of men is bred: but the $50
colombian silver) paid as a monthly
wage is sufficient to hold every member
Of the force in bonds of strongest all
legiance to the new republic. The SUI
neror station the policemen occupy in
the various communities is another
anchor for their fealty. The work is
comparatively light; their uniforms,
blue, with red trimmings. and white
nth helmets, are attractive, and they
are looked up to with such respect and
obeyed with such promptitude that
membership on the force is commonly
regarded as quite the most comfortable
berth procurable under the isthmian
government.
An Orderly People.
patrol their beats, which they do in
a lazy sort of way, these policemen
are seldom called upon to exert them
selves. as the breaches of the peace
are of infrequent occurrence. 1t is,
in fact, quite remarkable that among
a people so generally benighted and
backward in their civilization, there
should be a state of public order more
excellent than is to be found in any
city of consequence in the states, but
such Is the case. There are, as a
matter, of course, numerous street
brawls, but these are of little mo-
ment as they are limited to set-tos
with the fists, and nobody can be Sc
riously injured. Drunkenness is not
looked upon as a public offense, I'M
less the drunken man makes himself
particularly obnoxious for in this
country drinking is the rule rather
than the exception. Again, gan1b-
Lighthouses, common immortality and
places of ill-repute are never interfer-
ed with. This means, to be sure,
that this police force has less work
to do than similar organization in
the states would be called upon to
perform, for here there is a very diff
ferent and most generous construc-
uon placed upon what constitutes
breach of the peace.
But, allowing for the liberal view,
the lSthmus must be set down as a
place where the law is publicly re-
spected, and where the people gener-
ally are peaceably disposed and law
abiding. When disorder occurs. how
ever, the police force has little diff
fculty in quelling it. None of the Of
fcers is permitted to carry a revolver
"a policeman with a pistol would
have too good a chance to start a
reVolution-his equipment being limit
ed to rubber coat for protection
against the torrential rains, a whistle
for use in summoning assistance in
case OF trouble and a ponderous lig-
mum vitae mace.
Methods of the Police.
The moment trouble breaks out the
police blows his whistle and then
mixes in the melee. That lignum vitae
mace of his is terrible weapon. and
ne uses it Unfortunately. Clubbing
Is the method resorted to upon all oc-
caslons for restoring order. When a
pohceman comes up with a crowd of
street brawlers everybody about can
expect to receive resounding whacks
over the head from the mace The
greater the number of officers sum
mond by the whistle the more cracked
neads there will be, and so dexterous
nave the policemen become in WELD
ing these clubs that a crowd of dis
turbers of the peace will scatter the
minute an officer comes in sight
cracked heads are not relished by this
populace, and the facility displayed by
me police force in causing them has
mad much to do with creating for it
universal respect and esteem.
Admirable as this force is in itself
however, the administration of Justice
Is little less than a travesty. Its dis
pehsation is under the immediate di-
Iecuon of the alcaldes of the respec-
i've cities and town, and rather sor-