Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-06
THREE POLICE CHIEFS IN DAY
IS RECORD OF LOS ANGELES
Captain Broadhead Indicted Into Higher Office-First
Official Action Is That of Sending Patrolman
Roy Allen to East Side Station

The Los Angeles police department
enjoyed the unique distinction yester-
day of having three executive heads
within twice as many hours. Until
10:30 o'clock Edward Kern was chief of
police. At that hour he resigned his
commission 20 accept the position Of
member of the board of public works
rendered him by Mayor A. c. Harper,
and he was succeeded in office ad in
term by Capt. Paul E. Flammer, chief
of the detective bureau.
Until o'clock p. m. Capt. Flammer
was acting chief of police, and then
the police commission granted Capt.
Thomas H. Broadhead a leave Of alb
sence for one year as patrol captain
and Immediately thereafter elected him
chief of police. Capt Broadhead as
sumed charge of the Office at once, and
his first official act was to sign an
order detaching Patrolman Roy L. AL
len from the central division and or
dering him to report to Lieut.. Charles
Dixon, commanding the east side sub
station for night work. Other changes
may follow soon, is the belief at head
quarters.
The ceremony of inducing Capt.
Broadhead into the office of chief of
police was a simple and informal af-
fair. There were present Mayor A. G.
Harper, Executive Secretary Lyle Pen
degast and a number of newspaper
men. The new chief simply walked
into the office, was greeted by those
present as "Chief Broadhead," and took
his seat at the desk and asked if there
was anything for him to attend to.
A number Of papers were presented
him, one of which he signed, and then
he chatted with the mayor and the
newspaper men for a few minutes and
took up the routine work of the Office as
if he had been sitting in the chief S
position for years.
Office Decorated
The police reporters and the men,
bers of the Receiving hospital staff had
decorated the office with flowers and
evergreens for the reception of the new
chief Great vases full of American
Beauty and LaFrance roses, carnations,
violets and lilies of the valley deco
rated the desk and table in the office.
| The newspaper men were the first to
greet Chief Broadhead, and he received
them in his usual uhassuming manner.
"All right boys, 1 thank you very
much; I am just the same over here
as L was on the other side" was his
reply to their words of welcome and
congratulation
Former Chief Kern came in at this
moment, and the two, with Mayor Har-
per, were cIoseted together for a short
time, and then Mr.. Kern pulled out a
great bunch of keys and selecting such
as belonged to the office desks, cabinets
and doors turned them over to Chief
Broadhead.
Here is your badge of office" he re-
marked, land may you have only the
best of luck and success" Former
Chief Kern then left, and he was fol-
lowed in a few minutes by the mayor.
- L han nd Cicr1 al
a few letters prepared for him by his
clerks, and few minutes later changed
his uniform for civilians clothes and
went to his home on West Twentieth
street.
The promotion Of Capt Broadhead to
the position of chief was followed at
the meeting of the commission by an
order detaching Capt. A. ]. Bradish
from the command of the University
division and assigning him to the COM
mand of the central division at police
headquarters. Lieut.. G. G.. Lehnhauscr
will succeed Capt. Bradish in command
Of the University station.
What, if any other, changes are con-
templated in the police department is
not known. That Chief Broadhead will
devote all his time and ability to the
improvement of the department is the
pledge of himself and his friends. If
changes are found necessary for the i'm
provement of the department and the
betterment of the service they will be
made without asking the leave of the
man or men affected or the politicians
back of them. In other words, Chief
Broadhead has assumed his office to be
chief of police in fact as well as name
and he expects to conduct the depart
ment for the best interests of the citi-
zens and taxpayers who support it.
Has Risen Rapidly
Thomas H. Broadhead is the first
member of the Los Angeles police de-
partment who has risen from the lowest
to the highest office in the department
He entered the service of the city in
1897 as a patrolman, and in his six
months probationary service easily
made good. In the toughest" district
of the city he made law and order re-
Spected.
Two years of walking beat demon