Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-25
DISHMAN PLANS TO CHANGE
SAN PEDRO FORCE
MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AGREE TO
ADOPT CHIEFS REPORT
Especially Efficient Service to Be
Given Water Front, Including
Wilmington and Ter-
ninal

members of the council agreed IN
formally to adopt Chief of Police
Dishman's report and recomenda-
tions regarding the harbor precinct.
His report was practically the report
of the police commission as well as
his own views
Chief Dishman recomendS the for
nation of a new precinct to be known
as San Pedro precinct and to include
Terminal and Wilmington. Later on,
he says, this will become a police di
vision with a captain in charge. He
wishes at present to place seven of his
most experienced and dependable men
at the harbor under a sergeant who is
to report directly to the chief. 1t is
evident from his plans that he wishes
to initiate an especially efficient SER
vice at san Pedro and Wilmington
from the start
Details of this service are referred
to as follows in the chiefs report,
filed yesterday with the mayor:
To Place New Force on Duty
THE question as to whether the
present members of the San Pedro
police department shall be retained
does not enter into the matter. If it
is finally decided that the present
policemen at San Pedro be retained
it would not be advisable to have them
continue service in San Pedro. EX-
perience in the administration of po-
lice affairs has shown that better
service is secured by placing men on
duty at places removed from their own
home, thereby eliminating as much as
possible the element of personal
friendships between policemen and
those with whom they come in con-
tract. Following this long established
policy, it will result in better police
work in San Pedro if an entirely new
force is placed on duty there, the
members of that force being select
ed with reference to their experience,
their ability to cope with difficult
questions their known discretionary
powers and their ability to act firmly
and promptly whenever the occasion
requires it.
ION the manner in which the work
of the police department there is per-
formed during the next two months
much will depend, and it is therefore
of greatest importance that the best
men available be selected. That the
present police force in San Pedro can
not give to the people of that city the
kind of work which the people have
a right to expect is manifest. and
would therefore earnestly recommend
that | be authorized to make detail
such rs / nave suggested
"Trtitimately the men who compose
the San Pedro police force will have
to live in San Pedro, but 1t would be
impossible for men who may be as
signed to duty there to Immediately
move TO San Pedro with their fami-
lies. II VIII therefore be necessary
to provide these men with transpor-
tation for time at least, and it would
be manifestly unfair to expect them
to bear the expense themselves.
THE material equipment Of the San
Pedro police department is in good
condition. They have a Jail sufficient
to their needs and sufficiently strong
to hold all except such prisoners as
may be charged with felonies 1t will
be necessary Immediately to provide
means of instant communication be-
tween Headquarters in San Pedro and
beadquarters in Los Angeles, and to
that end telephone line connected
directly with the switchboard at police
headquarters in this city soon viii
have to be established. The estab-
lshment of a line of communication
between San Pedro and Wilmington
will also be necessary at once, be-
cause it is now impossible to secure
alI-night telephone service in Will
mingtOn.'
Little DISCUSSION apparent
With the exception of the efforts Of
Barney Healy to establish a rule that
present conditions at San Pedro
should remain unchanged there was no
dissension. Some discussion arose as
To the retention of men employed by
the city governments of Wilmington
and San Pedro in which the council
agreed that competent men might be
| continued.
Mayor Alexander emphasized the i'm
| portance of remembering the police
| and fire departments of the city are
under pension regulations.
1T has been possible for man
having tuberculosis to get on the
police force and, after seven months
{ service. to draw a pension for the
rest of his life" said the mayor. "Wc
/ don't want that sort of thing to hap
pen again. 1t should be kept in mind
/ that. with the police force and the fire
departments the pension system pre-
walls and there ought not to be any
| indiscrminate placing of men on~these
/ forces"
| Councilman Healy quoted the Los
/ Angeles consolidation committee as
pledging the city to leave conditions
/ in san Pedro as they have been exist
| ing. but City Attorney Hewitt, the
] only tlltIlDeI Ol JllC NOIii4A4lIhNN Ei N'tAi -
entered a demurrer
"Tsn't the proper condition this v
| said Councilman Wallace, "That We
ought not to neglect giving Whining
| ton and san Pedro their full quota of
| representation in the city government
/ but that We cannot afford to lay down
| any hard-and-fast law that everybody
now employed by the city shall be
| given jobs at San Pedro?'
Stand Made for Good Men
| Councilman Lyon urged that men
| who are worthy and show their ability
be retained, but he said that the coun-
ell should not interfere with the handl-
| ing Of the details by department heads.
Reports from verious departments
signed by the chiefs showed that their
inspection trip Monday impressed
them with the extent of the harbor
area. Building Inspector Bacllus said
that one inspector will be able to take
care of the building, gas, sewer and
similar inspection work. The street
department calls for four laborers,
four drivers with teams, foreman
and a desk clerk. one Of the drivers
is to be employed to drive the rotary
street sweeper and the garbage col
lector. The electrical department can
get along with one additional en-
pIoyc, but the health department be
iieves that several viii be necessary.
The mayor turned all reports over
TO the council, and they will be acted
on today with the windup of the con
solidation transfer which will occur
formally.