Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-28
SHAKE UP WILL
TAKE PLACE IN
POLICE CIRCLES
ONLY CHANGES FOR GOOD OF
SERVICE INTENDED
MAYOR ALEXANDER WISHES THE
BEST POSSIBLE FORCE
Detective Branch Needs to Be Over.
hauled and Entire Personnel of
Department Will Be Rev.
oIutionized
BY JOHN NJ. BEoKwITH

viii there be a shake-up in the
police department? -
Since the election of George Alex
ander as mayor of the city OF Los An
geles it is probable this question mas
been asked of himself or of another
person by everyone of the more IMAM
300 members of the department.
To correct the conditions Whlcn
brought about the election of Mayor
Alexander and to insure that such CON
ditions never exist again IN Los All
eeles it is probable there will be a
shake-up in the police department anu
that some changes will be mace Lor
the good of the service that Will sur
prise those best acquainted with the
personnel of the department, and, per-
haps. none more so than the indlVldual
who will be tossed in the official blan-
ket. ,s
The men back of the desire for good,
clean government, back OF the recall
back of Mayor George Alexander, are
practical men who realize that perfect
morality and observance of the laws
cannot be enforced in a city the SIZE
OF Los Angeles even if we had a ponce
force composed of men having the
moral courage of martyrs and the
stern conviction of Pur1tans.
The best, it is believed, that can be
expected in the way OF approaching
the ideal and is compatible with hu-
man nature as it is constituted, Is 70
secure a police force So organized ana
directed that crime and disorder Will
be reduced to minimum, Whlch WIN
result when the habitual lawbreaker
realizes punishment will be sure ana
impartial and exempt from influences
of political pull" or other forms OF
official corruption, so far as the de-
partment is concerned.
Second-The suppression of pubic
gambling to a degree where the ponce
force is not cognizant of its existence
and where vigilant effort is constantly
nut forth to detect and punish its ap-
pearance.
Third-The suppression of the social
evil to a degree where it cannot affect
those who do not of their own cholce
seek its haunts and environs; and,
Fourth-The placing of the saloon
at all times thoroughly under the con-
troll of law.
Many Influences Felt
In the control and direction of a
police department along practical as
well as honest and legitimate lines,
political, social and chronological lh11u-
ences must be reckoned with. No one
who is not brought daily in contact
with the routine of business at the Los
Angeles ponce headquarters can lcai
ize the powerful pressure of political
and other influences that are brought
to bear on heads of departments and
how the official lives of the officers of
the police force consist mainly of an
unremitting effort to say mo-" and to
say it with the least possible offense
to those whose requests are denied.
It is apparent to any one acquainted
with the personnel of the police force
of the city that the materials with
which the heads of departments have
to deal are scarcely ideal.
The pay of policeman and his du-
ties are hardly attractive to man of
great intellectually or acute moral
sensibilities. This is not to be taken
in any sense as a criticism on the
moral or mental makeup of the men
who constitute one of the best police
organizations in this country. But po-
licemen are human, and their work is