New-York tribune., 1905-01-29
O'BRIEN TAKES CHARGE.
HIS STRONG PROMISE.
Would Haze Permanency Of Detec-
toe Sergeants abolished.

Acung Inspector Stephen o Brien yesterday took
charge OF the Detective Bureau succeeding his old
liie enemy 'Chesty George McClusky. who went
10 Inc Bronx Friday 'at his request"
In the intervening tventy-four hours Captain Ian
gan was IN charge of the bureau.
inc exodus OF detective sergeants began soon
as the acting inspector took charge. Sergeant
FRANK Morris, McClusky's right hand man, was
transferred TO The Bronx to be with his old chief.
and Detective Sergeant Edward Hughes another
cohhoentaI man. has gone to Brooklyn to
u Ger captain Harkins Hughes has done patrol
duty since he left the school OF instruction
Among the dozen floral horseshoes and other
things Of that sort always given a police officer
When he gets a new post was a horseshoe about
six feet high bearing the words Honesty Efficen-
cy and Integrity. 1t not explained whether
this referred to OBriens past work or was hint
for the future
The new head OF the Detective Bureau made a
long statement concerning what he intended to do
to make the Detective Bureau detect something
without the aid OF Secret Service or newspaper
men, At the outset he said he wished to impress
everybody that he did not seek the position and
that he had asked the Commissioner to excuse him,
as he was interested IN the traffic regulation.
I knew that he could not, and no Commissioner
could, straighten out the corruption In the city
with the Detective Bureau in it's present condition.
said O'Brien. "In the first place the placing of a
captain. with captains salary. In this position. IS
a punishment I know from my own experience
that the money man has to spend from his own
pocket without chance OS getting II back pre-
vents him from running the bureau detective s
salary"
The salary Of q captain in the department is
$3.50 a year. There are few captains or ex-cap-
talns Of the department that do not own their own
homes. at least. while many are the owners Of
blocks of tenement houses peach orchards IN
Japan" like Alexander Williams. Captain Moyna-
han managed 10 save enough to invest in goodly
number of tenement houses. In addition to this.
most OF them, with the exception of Captain Bur-
feind, who is president of temperance society in
Westchester have enough left over to open cham
payne" extensively on occasion.
Il am satisfied" continued O'Brien, that the
law abiding citizens of this city stronger than
any combination of criminals, and there be no
successful criminal operations openly carried on
here without collusion negligence on the part OF
the police.
There have been lot Of changes since I was
here seven years ago and it is up TO me to remedy
the defects if I under promise to the
Commissioner and the people of the city to be the
peoples policeman while I'm here, and I am going
to fight everybody that stands between the criminal
and the consequences of his crime whether his in
feel like good mechanic with pretty bad set
OF tools. There may be some good ones in the
collection and some that need grinding and lot OF
utterly worthless ones. 1 viii try to put edge
thrown g OUT Inspector MecskY wss no sbie % % to
do the work expected Of him because OF poor tools
in 1897. IL gave me an opportunity to show the
people it was possible for precinct commander to
keep poolrOOms, policy shops, gambling houses and
other swindling games from entering the precinct
or openly violating the law. My experience taught
me that criminal industries can exist and be
profitable where there is an honest vigilaut and
energetic commanding officer
Acting Inspector O'Brien said that he believed
all the precinct detectives should be drawn from
the Central Office. and the 20. K.' of the head of
the bureau should be necessary He thought the
position Of detective sergeant should be abolished,
as its permanency had placed a commercial value
on it. Inefficient men who had obtained their
places through political pull financial In
iuence' should be removed. and legislation eff
fected TO bring about change IN the personnel of
adVOrafpd ST al liSbD ant Of
branch bureaus in all the precincts. He wishes to
take men into the bureau without having them
go through the preliminary of patroiling the
streets, which deters many who would make ex-
cellent detectives from entering the bureau. He
said that Detective Sergeant Petrosino did ad-
mirable work in the barrel mystery" nearly two
years ago, "the best Italian detective In the
world to-day. and honest man"