Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-01
USE LITTLE
JUDGMENT
AUToIsTs COMPLAIN OF MOTOR
CYCLE POLICEMEN
CLAIM FAvoRITEs ESCAPE PUN
IsHMENT
Roy Allen and Ralph Humphrey Gem
sured for Lack of Discretion
Shown When Dealing with
Motoring Public

1t needs only the least effort to make
the positions of two of the motorcycle
policemen untenable. They have played
their game so long and with so little
judgment that their day of reckoning
seems to be near at hand.
Man after man has complained of the
unjust way in which he has been treat
ed by them, and the complaints have
been so numerous and from such
sources they merit consideration.
When it comes to dealing with the
motoring public 1t would be presumed
officers would be chosen with the fact
In mind that the class of people they
are sent out to look after are really
the cream of the people. They are ad-
vocates of order almost to a man, and
when they are forced to submit to
treatment at the hands of the officers
on wheels that is unfair in the ex-
treme they have good reason to COM
plain.
Roy Allen and Ralph C. Humphrey
are the two most disliked and are con-
stantly villified. If they are allowed
the exercise of any discretion they cer-
tainly are not on record as taking ad-
vantage of their prerogative.
They both seemed possessed with the
idea that their entire duty is to get as
large a showing in the amount of fines
that their arrests bring, and apparently
have no conception of how to control
the speed of traffic without forcing the
offenders to go before the judge and be
fined
1t matters little what excuse there
may be for violating the speed ordi-
nance or whether the violation is mere
ly technical If the offender of the
mighty arms of the law are not inn
mune they are hailed into police court
and almost invariably fined because of
the character OF the evidence submit.
ted.
Say Officers Discriminate
If they would treat all alike it would
not be quite so bad, but some of the
most frequent offenders are never ar
rested and they run around the streets
as though they had a special license to
go as fast as they wish.
Warnings to the autoist who is run
ming a mile or two an hour faster than
the limit are almost unknown, but the
two officers mentioned Rave very poor
eyesight when the favored ones speed
past
Some men even boast If their friends
will tell them when they get arrested
that they will "fix 1t" FOR them without
any trouble.
1t is probably much cheaper in the
end to buy pair of gloves occasionally
for a man than to have him hot ON your
trail when you want to let the ma
chine out a bit, tut that is not the state
OF affairs aimed at by the law makers
however much 1t might appeal to
policeman as a good scheme.
The testimony of the men varies so
much at times 1t would create a reason
able doubt in the minds of most men.
especially when the defendant also
disagrees with the witnesses for the
prosecution, but no matter what story
the officers tell they get a conviction
in the larger number of cases.
Speedometers Of Little Use
Time after time their speedometers,
en- which they usually depend to get
the time, and it is not at all unusual
for them to be out of order and register
speed of five miles or so when the
machine is still. Another trick they
have of getting evidence to convict is
to start a block or so behind car and
take the speed they have to make
while catching up with the automobile.
They would naturally have to ride
faster than the car to overtake 1t, but
that matters nothing, they give the
speed they travelled and then say that
the car was going too fast.
1t is reliably reported that Roy Allen
T. as DcGH hDONn W OpCi OutotdC thC
city limits on the Pasadena boulevard
az that affords a good field, being one
CO the few places near town where car
can be let out with safety to all con-
cerned.
While the officers have the legal right
TO make an arrest outside the city under
the state law, their salary is paid for
doing their work inside the city limits
OF Los Angeles, and nowhere else.
Claim Cars Get Away
A few night ago two of the officers
were detailed to try to catch some of
the cars that run so fast up Main street
cfter the prize fight was over, and they
were seen by the writer to be in the
midst of a bunch of four or five cars,
all of which appeared to be exceeding
the speed limit considerably. The num-
Ter of the cars was visible and could be
read as they passed the lights on the
streets, but no arrests were made, the
excuse being given that the machines
got away.
If the excuse were true it is most
convincing evidence that the two Off
GERS were incompetent, which Is just as
lnexcusable as it would be for them to
be granting immunity to some of their
favorites.
Judge fTOueTlckSOtl, III SpcdhlIlS OH
the subject said the officers did not
seem to use any discretion and that it
would be far better to warn the man
who is violating the law and correct 1t
in that way when possible than to
arrest him without exercising any judg-
ment.
AS many of the speed cases come be-
fore Judge Frederickson he Is in a
good position to learn the value of tho
testimony of the various officers and
at the same time something of their
methods.
the boundaries of Mexico, where he wou
Judge critlsises Officers
He criticised severely the action of
the police in making arrests on North
Main street as soon as the limits were
extended on that thoroughfare to the
river.
Instead of giving the motorists time
to accustom themselves to the new
limit and assisting them with warn
ings they made arrest after arrest of
those who thought that they were
within their rights. The action of the
officers at that time strengthened the
impression that they were out to get all
the money into the treasury that they
could, irrespective of whether they
acted fairly and justly or not.
There are certainly enough men on
the police force who have ordinary
common sense and a sense of fair play
to put on the motorcycles who could
treat the motoring public with the con-
sideration to which they are entitled
and get rid of such men as Humphrey
and Allen, of whom Judge Frederick
son says they are too perniciously