New-York tribune., 1906-10-27
BACK TO SIDEWALKS.
ALL WARDlfEN CHANGED.
BINGHAM Orders Precinct DetectiUes
Into Uniform.

Following IN his order of Thursday, by which
sll the police captains in the city. save one were
transferred. General Bingham yesterday issued
a.weeping general order remandng all the pre-
cinct detectives in the city TO patrol duty In
uniform The order Is TO go into effect at g
o'clock this evening. when the men who have
been doing police duty in plain clothes ere ex-
pected to go on post IN their precincts. The
order affects about two hundred men.
II IS expected that a large number of men
Who have been doing detective duty for years
In precincts will ask for retirement rather than
resume pounding the sidewalk" Some of them
have grown too fat for the uniforms they used
20 wear There will be difficulty in many cases
in getting uniforms to fit the who resume
patrol duty tonight.
One result Of the order is that the captains
who were transferred Thursday will he unable
TO take with them TO their precincts the
confidential men they had working for them
in plain clothes. The order is meant plainly as
a blow at the collection of graft" for some pre-
cinct commanders.
General Bingharn's order puts on tho district
inspectors the responsibility OF selecting men
for detective duty I'm precincts. at the same time
requiring the inspectors 10 change the detectives
in q precinct often
Hereafter" the order says. at will be the
duty Of the inspectors to assign the work or
alI plain clothes in their districts. including
those who needed TO assist the captains IN
their precinct work. Inspectors, when assigning
men to duty in plain clothes. will not keep the
same men in the precincts for a period
longer than thirty days
The order also requires inspectors to make re-
ports to the Commissioner at the end of each
week regarding the work Of the men assigned
to detective duty. When there is a failure of
a case before magistrate the inspector mus:
explain why the detective did not get the right
evidence to hold the prisoner. General Bingham
established 2 precedent in police orders by Civ
ing in Yesterdays order reason for his sweep
ing action. He says:
One object of this order is to effect closer
cooperation in police work between the inspec-
and their subordinate officers. requiring
inspectors TO be closely conversant with the
included in their district. and requiring cap
tains TO be in closer subordination and co-opera-
ton each with his own inspector.
This order does not suspend the right Of cap
fains detail exceeding four mem hers or
the outgoing platoon for patrol duty in plain
clothes during the tour. in which case the same
nor the right Of a captain 10 detail a man for
duty i'm plain clothes for rwenty-four hours nor
the right of inspector tn permit a captain to
detail man for plain clothes duty for forty
eight hours. But any prolonged investigation in
plain clothes is TO he conducted only after con-
sultation between the captain and the inspector
and by detailed for such duty by the in
spector.
Before he issued the order TO remand ali the
precinct detectives TO patrol duty yesterday
General Bingham threw cold water on a report
that he would soon transfer all the inspectors
and most Of the sergeants. He said that, while
he might some Of the sergeants, the
changes would not he important He intmated
that he meant To place more work on the shoul-
ders of the inspectors and hold them RESPONSE
hle for the condition of their districts.