The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-21
DRESS UP CHIEF!
COunciImen Object to His Dis
regard Of PrOprieties.
Want Him to Wear Uniform
Like Others.
SET A BAD EXAMPLE.
Other Members Of the Force
Required to Uniform.
DerelictiOn to Be Brought Be-
fore the Council.
SET A BAD EXAMPLE.

Councilman Holiday will introduce
a resolution at the council meeting
/ Friday night which will make it COM
/ pulsory on the part of Chief of Police
/ Goodwin to wear a uniform while on
duty. The move is one which will
meet with popular approval as there
4 is probably not another city in the
/ United States of the population of To-
peka where the chief of the police
force does not wear a uniform.
The policemen on the beats are
compelled to wear uniforms and it is
no more than right that the head of
the force should be uniformed. Chief
Goodwin has taken a good deal Of in
/ terest in the appearance Of the force
/ of late and has promulgated some
rather severe rules regarding their
4 personal appearance while on duty
and their actions as members OF the
police force.
One of the patrolmen who for OBJ
vious reasons does not wish his name
used in this controversy said: The
/ chief receives considerably larger sal
airy than we do and I suppose that he
+ deserves it. We men who walk the
I beats take considerable pride in the
/ appearance of the force, and try at all
/ times to make as presentable an ap-
I pearance as possible. A stranger
I comes into the station and probably
!
sibly a patrolman and addresses him
as the chief, never suspecting for
moment that the farmer dressed IN
/ diVidual is the chief of the force. This
fact alone has led UP to a great many
+ mbarrassing happenings at the sta
/ ton even though Mr.. Goodwin is rec
/ Ognized as the chief when he throws
the lapel of his coat back and exhibits
his gold star.
/ In speaking of the matter of com
/ polling the chief to wear a uniform
/ Mayor Davis said: II have talked to
the chief at different times about the
matter and have suggested that L
think that the proper thing for him to
do would be to wear uniform as the
head of the police departments IN
/ other cities do. Topeka is not coun-
try town and we do not want our
police force to be claSSed anywhere
/ but where it belongs. The patrOlmen
are neatly dressed and take great
| deal of pride in their appearance, and
it seems to me that it would not only
add to the appearance of the police
force of the city but that it would add
to the discipline of the men. They are
asked to keep their clothing pressed
and brushed and the buttons bright
and the head of the department does
not wear uniform at all have
/ talked with MI Holiday about the
ordinance which he intends to intro
duce and feel that it will carry with
out a dissenting vote
Mr.. Holiday who has prepared the
resolution and will introduce IT at the
meeting Friday evening does not claim to
have originated the idea, but he will
introduce the measure at the request OF
a number of the taxpayers of the city
who feel that the city is being cheaper
ed in the eyes of strangers as wen as
in the eyes of the residents of the
city by the appearance of the
chief of the police force. In speaking
of the measure which he will introduce
in the council Mr.. Holiday said: I 90
malities. or anything of that kind, out
it does seem to me that man VINO
is at the head of the police department
of a city which boasts of nearly 5O,o0V
population should at least be as well
=. groomed as the force under him. nave
urged Chief Goodwin to take this step
himself and he does not seem to have
seen fit to act on my suggestion and
: now I am going to see what the city
. council as body thinks OF the sug-
Councilman Joseph Griley of the Sec
J opd ward said. Il am in accord with
the ideas of Mr.. Holiday in regard to
: compelling Chief Goodwin to wear
3 uniform. While I do not think that an
: ordinary uniform Will add much to his
. appearance, I am in favor of having his
trousers made wide at the bottom like
! those of sailor so that they Will in
r measure overcome by impeachment in To-
comOtion. I am for the measure and l
3 trust that it will not be regarded as a
Z Joke and that the council will amend the
f ordinance so that it viii become effec-
! tive at once and if Chief Goodwin does
not want to live up to it I know a mar
in my ward who viii be glad to wear
; the star of the chief and any uniform
1 which the council may suggest
Councilman J. w. r. Hughes said
when the passage Of the ordinance was
? mentioned OF him. I do not understand
{ why it should be necessary for the
$ members of the counc'' - make the or
] der. [ should think that the head of a
J. police force in city of this size would
= recognize the dignity of the position and
follow the precedent as set by the heads
& of such departments in other cities. I
? think that he should be compelled to
o wear the regulation uniform, if he will
& not do so without being forced to. 1t
1 is the custom all over the universe for
@ men who are in such positions as that
c occupied by Chief Goodwin to appear in
I uniform denOting their ~Osition. 1 am
s in favor of the chief of police wearing
!, a uniform which viii indicate at a
glance his rank. Mr.. Holidays sug-
gestion is certainly an excellent one
= Councilman Nipps said: while ! have
q not been consulted in reference to this
= matter at a glance it seems to me that
3 it is what should be done, and I do not
2 see why some one has not introduced
e such an ordinance long before this time.
& I understand that the chief is spending
It considerable time drilling the men on
the force as to their duties as police
" officers and T think th~- is the time