The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-06-22
GOLDEN rule POLICE CHIEF STANDS
FOR HELPFULNESS INSTEAD Of KICKS

BUFFALO, June 22.--All the
laws on the books will not 30 hal
SO far in suppressing crime as 9
kindly smile, a helping hand and
little thought by the policeman
on the beat.
Chief Fred ,Kohler. Cleaeland's
golden rule policeman" told the
police chiefs convention here that
his policy had proved this in tbs
Ohio city.
Chief Kohler believes in a man
any man, provided he is, as Kohlei
himself puts it, mot so very; very
bad" Kohler knew there weren't
any laws to. protect men who
might be bad but who needed kind
ness instead of kicks. But he
knew also that the policeman's
club doesn't have such power fol
law and order as the friendly right
hand that holds the club.
So Chief Kohler over a year age
started a policy of his own. He
calls 1t common sense policy, but
the people in Cleveland say It IL
just another way of working the
golden rule.
The law, he figured, didn't rec.
ognize one man as different from
another, even if one were a harden.
ed criminal and the other a first
offender. Kohler, being police.
man and good one, knew the law
here was wrong.
So he figured that his kind Of
charity began right on the street.
1t was up to the bluecoat rather
than the bench or the bondsmen to
save these offenders and reclaim
them into good citizens.
In the first year of its workings,
Kohler told the convention, there
were 20,333 less arrests than the
previous year. In 1907 30.418 ar
rests were made, and only 10,0S5
in 1908, reduction of 66.8 per
cent.
But in Cleveland the real Grim
inal need expect no mercy from
Chief Kohler or any of his men,
The chief has a kindly face. ready
either to smile or frown. He
looks like Fighting Bob Evans, and
is just as quick in action.
One night the chief was going
home late and saw a drunken man
Keeling in the street.
Here, my friend, what's the
matter?" he asked the man.
Where do you live? Tell me,
and I'll take you home"
He told the chief where he
lived, and the chief. reaching his
arm under the others to steady
him, took him home, raped at
the door and left him with his
family. Chief Kohler doesn't
want his policemen to do anything
more than he himself would do.
The men know it as they know the
difference between misdemeanor
and a crime.
If man loses his way In Cleve-
land, Kohler's bluecoats apply the
golden rule. They direct him po-
litely and will go to trouble to
help the stranger along.
Street car conductors sometimes
get into disputes with passengers.
Usually the is scuffle, and
sometimes a fight. But not in
Cleveland.
The golden rule policeman acts
as an umpire before he tries to
arrest man. He hears both sides
Of the case. tells the wranglers
what to do and they do 1t.
For a great many years." said
Chief Kohler, "the police in Cleve-
land had done as police do every.
where with petty offenders and
bad boys-we ran them In
II found daily in police stations
relatives and friends In tears seek
ing the release of some prisoner
who, when / inquired, proved to
be not so very, very bad. In 20
lice court the next day l saw old,
feeble parents, weeping wives with
crying babies in their arms and
very often other children clinging
at their sides, there to witness the
degradation Of those they loved.
"And what was the result? A
hasty trial, and, since the offense
usually was trivial, the prisoner
was discharged. Good! But all
that suffering was In vain.
"Now | finally concluded It was