The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-06-19


Z and man.
3--The best policeman L. the one
who manages the ofender with the
least show or display OF authority.
} MANY men fall through unfor-
tunafe circumstances, and are not
2 criminal AT heart.
, 5-poIice should have enough evil
Z dence 10 convict before considering
( the Imprisonment of person ON
any charge.
0--Any apparent vIoIators who are
: not known 90 he OF good reputation,
} must he accom- panied Ia the station,
} where tho officer Ina charge VIII
take the proper actions a shown by
}the common sense policy. )
r
BUFFALO, n. Y, June l9.-All the
laws on the books Will not go half
30 far in suppressing crime as kind
ly smile, helping hand, and little
thought by. the policeman on the beat.
Chief Fred Kohler, Cleveland 5
golden rule policeman" told the po-
lice chiefs convention here that his
policy had proved this in the Ohio
city.
Chief KohIer believes in mau-
any man, provided he is, as Kohler him
self puts II. mot so very, very bad
Kohler knew there weren't any laws
to protect men who might be bad but
! who needed kindness instead OF kicks
But he knew also that the policeman's
J club doesn't have such power for law
and order as the friendly right hand
that holds the club.
So Chief Kohler over a year ago
/ started policy OF his own. He calls
II a common sense policy, but the peg
! pie In Cleveland say IL is just another
! way of working the golden rule.
7 The law, he figured. didn't recognize
one man as different from another.
| even IL one were a hardened criminal
and .ths -other-a first offender. Kohler.
being a policeman and a good one,
knew the law here was wrong.
( So he figured that his kind Of char
!. ity began right on the street II was
I ND to the bluecoat rather than the
bench or the bondsmen 10 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 pre-
vious year. In 1907. 30.41S arrests
were made, and only 10.0S5 in 1905,
reduction of Cos per cent.
Real Criminal Is Punished.
But in Cleveland the real criminal
need expect no mercy from Chief koh-
Ter 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 mat
ter ~ he-asked-.the man. Where do
you s.live2~ 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 10 do anything
more than he--fftmself would do. The
merf-know it as they know the differ
encer between a misdemeanor and a
crime.
liza man loses his way H. Cleveland
Kohler's bluecoats apply the golden
rule..-TheY. direct him politely ana
will go to trouble TO help the stranger
along.
Street car conductors sometimes get
into disputes with passengers. Usually
there is a scuffle, and sometimes a
night But not in Cleveland.
The golden rule policeman acts as
an umpire before he tries TO arrest n
man. He hears both sides of the case,
tells the wranglers what TO do and
they do II.
FOR a great many years" said
Chief Kohler, the police in Cleveland
had. done as police do everywhere
Z. with petty offenders and bad boys-we
ran them in
"f found daily in police stations
relatives and friends In tears seeking
the release OF some prisoner who,
when I inquired, proved 10 be not 50
very. very bad. In police court the
next day I saw old. feeble parents
weeping wives and very often other
children clinging at their sides there
TO witness the degradation Of those
they loved.
Duty is to Save Them.
"And what was the result? A hasty
trial. and, since the offense usually
was trivial, the prisoner vas discharg'
ed. Good! But all that suffering was
in vain.
first duty not 10 help these unfortun.
atesson their downward course, but to
save them.
cit seemed TO me It was mp to the
notice 10 learn 10 know the difference
between thief and a inischievous
man or boy.
upon these thoughts my policy was
formed.
And this golden rule policy is still
reducing arrests and reducing crime
In May this year there were fewer al.
rests than in any previous month in
20 years history OF police activity IN
Cleveland. Out OF $50 arrests In May.
only 81 In the sixth city of the United
States were for felonies"
As Kohler says: The American
policeman is the first and best Judge
An the people in Cleveland believa
he is right.
Are You csoing West7
Drpn a pOgtol card 70 "a w Ctcin.