The sun., 1908-11-24

9ss Pursuing his now thoroughly dis
closed plan to make the police force OF
New York an effective weapon of muni-
ficfpal government, Commissioner BING-
HAN has at last reached the Borough of
Brooklyn, where he has begun a reor-
ganfzation which if persisted in will
pFoduce the most gratifying results for
the orderly and law abiding inhabitants
=uf that community. The rearranGement
OF duties and the Capitalization of office
work and bookkeeping will release men
now employed as clerks and allow them
to be used for police duty. The sim
! plihcation and systemization of rec
ord keeping will make inquiries outside
and inside the department easier and
quicker, The consolidation of control
viii make the force more efficient and
easier to manage.
Unfortunately tho highly desirable
changes now under way cannot be made
without disturbing extremely pleasant
relations that for years have existed
between certain subordinates of the
force and number OF more or less in
fflential citizens of Brooklyn. Hence,
as was to be expected, violent outcry
has been raised that the Commissioner
intends to wipe Brooklyn of the map"
70 reduce it to the condition of a vassal
State and to deprive it forever of all
dignity, honor and fame. For example,
the statement, as disingenuous as il
is unfounded, is made that Brooklyn
b to be deprived of detective bureau
Yet common sense shows that a great
community like Brooklyn needs a de-
tectiye bureau, and experience, if ap-
pealed 10, would show that Commis-
siu1cr BISGHAM'S policy has been TO
establish such stations wherever they
efeneeded, and not to cut them Off The
fact is that there has been no thought
~ abolishing the detective bureau in
! sI:opkiyn.
y II the same manner it is represented
that because duplication of records
81 hereafter to be avoided anu the in
formation bureau work done in Manhat-
tam, the liberties of Brooklyn are threat
ened. In any enterprise except the
city government the man who did
away with useless clerical work, who
reduced materially the tasks Of his sub
ofdinates, might, reasonably look for
conmendation. But the Commits
sipner is told that he has assailed the
dearest institutions of great people
EHd he is denounced as wicked plotter
and conspira.or.
Unfortunately the great mass OF the
people of Brooklyn are In total ignorance
Of the plans Of the Police Commissioner.
They are told that mothers searching
FOR lost children must go to Mulberry
street the intimation being that the
Commissioner takes great delight in
inhicting pain and toll on distressed
parents. A moments reflection will
make the most enthusiastic Old Brook
Ignite doubt this. and slight investi-
cation and study Of the facts will prove
Its utter lack Of foundation.
What the present administration OF
the Police Department seeks to do is
TO bring order out of the chaotic con-
dition that has so long existed. In time
II is hoped to make the police force what
it should be- That in the course of this
transformation administrative changes
should be necessary is not unnatural;
nor is it particularly regrettable, from |
the taxpayers point of view, that such |
petty abuses as the Use Of patrolmen |
paid out Of the tax levy, as watchmen
and messengers for private individuals |
and corporations should cease.