The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-06-17

what you term "A Special Commission
 to investigate the affairs of the New
 Haven police department; also a DOT ton of section F of the city charter land also that you are informed that
 we have made charges against the po- llice department of the city of New Ha- lven, and especially against some of its members. For the sake of accuracy we Idesire to say that we have not made any charges in the sense in which
 that word is used in the charter of the lefty of New Haven. We have criticised
 the police department and have ex- lcient and had seriously failed to per- form it's duty.
 A succession of brutal assaults upon unprotected women in the streets of this city has arrested the attention and
 aroused the indignation of great num-
 bers of our citizens. Our attention has
 been called to the deplorable want of deficiency, and failure, in the perform
 ance of duty on the part of the police department because of these assaults.
 There have been in recent years also a
 humber of burglaries committed in cer-
 tain parts of the city. This deplorable Icondition of affairs in New Haven has
 existed for a long time and had become
 substantially a chronic condition until the indignant protest of our citizens re- gently drove the police department into
 belated activity. The matter has be-
 come so serious that at a recent meet nib I,xr tlemen in our presence, and concurred
 in by the mayor of the city, that no
 woman ought to be upon the public
 streets of the city of New Haven after
 nightfall without protective escort.
 Many of the incidents of these assaults
 upon women have been reported in the
 public papers. Many have been report
 ed to the police department, and your
 committee can ascertain the details so
 reported by reference to the records of
 memoranda kept by the police depart
 ment.
 A condition of affairs that compels
 the mayor of our city to acquiesce in lthe statement that no woman should be upon the streets after nightfall with
 out protection is the highest proof of linefficiency of the police department, land of it's neglect of duty. Cases of individual inefficiency among the police
 seem to us unimportant in this investi- lgation, except as tending to show a general decentralization in the whole de-
 pertinent, and the most efficient police
 might fail to apprehend the perpetrator of any one crime; but that immortality and lawlessness should flourish un- i checked for many months indicate in- efficiency in the department. The may or is the chief police officer of the city. It is his duty to see that the laws and ordinances are enforced and observed, and he has greater opportunities of knowing the detail facts in reference to the conditions that exist thanAany lone else, except the police department itself and those in control thereof. We lrequest therefore, that you inquire of lthe mayor, the board of police commis- lsioners, the chief of police and such other members of the department as Imay be necessary, and from them as- certain the particulars of all such as- saults as have been reported to the poe Ilice department, and the reason why Ithe criminals committing these assaults and other offenses have not been appre- hended and punished.
 Our information is largely composed |of knowledge common to all, and our belief is founded upon facts of public |notoriety, and upon such information and belief we criticised the police de- ,partment.
 As illustrative of the inetficiency of the department and of the neglect of the officers to enforce the laws, we would invite your attention to the case |of Mckee. We believe that the chief |of police had reason to know, and did, lin fact, believe for months prior to the time that McKee's poolroom was raided by the police, that he was keeping a |poolroom, in violation of the law, and substantially made no effort to enforce the law. We request that you inquire of the chief of police, MT. Wrinn, in de- tail, with reference to that particular lease and ascertain why it is that the police department of the city of New Haven did not enforce the law in this particular case, and why it is that the state police were called in to perform the duty that ought to have been per- |formed by the local police department, |and why no person has been punished, or even admonished, for such neglect of duty. We are informed, and believe, that the police department of the city Iof New Haven, or at least, considerable numbers thereof, have been used for political and factional purposes. We are also informed, and believe, that there has not been an adequate, proper or diligent prosecutio nof the Sunday liquor law, and that the failure to en- force that law has it's origin in politi- cal projects. We request that you in- quire of the city attorney, Mr. Webb, relative to these matters, and also of the clerk of the city court, Mr. Isbell.
 In reference to your suggestion in your letters that we will be entitled to be represented before you by counsel if we so desire, we beg to say that If
 10 pJBoq eql 'IoGBm eql IIBo IIIM no6 police commissioners, the chief of po- lice, the city attorney and the clerk of the city court--men who have the greatest knowledge concerning the ac- tual condition of inefficiency and neg feet of duty on the part of the New Haven police department-we will em- ploy counsel, at our own expense, for the purpose of examining these gentle men to the end that the true state of affairs may be developed in this in-