New-York tribune., 1909-02-12
lFINN,S POLICE REMEDY
NEED BOSS FROM RANKS.
Battery Dan" Testifes Before
LegislatiUe Committee.

Hzss;stra+a .sF2atterv Dan Finn test!fying before
the legislative committee appointed to inquire INTO
the minor courts of this city yesterday severely
| criticised the system under which policemen are
provided with an incentive to make as many arrests
as possible. When asked what could be done TO GO
away with prorniscuous and unjustifabie arrests
Magistrate Finn said:
II don't know as 1 can suggest a remedy. These
officers are Civil Service men, and supposed 70
be conscientious men, but I think that If they had
a man at the head of the force who had himself
by conscientious faithful service, risen from the
ranks-such a McAvoy, Byrnes or Devery-
would have police force second TO none IN the
world. I know the metal the men are made Of but
they not military men"
Asked If he had called the Police Commissioner s
attention to tbs fact that push cart licenses per
mitted the pedlers to stand half hour within
ten feet Of crossing except in prohibited streets
Magistrate Finn said:
mo; he has people to do that for him This IS
the who said tfat every belonged to a
boss. I don't think he knows what he is talking
about. 1 belonged to a boss. and as long as
have clear head and my health I will be my own
boss
Magistrate Finn suggested that way to i'm
prove the administration of the police magistrates
courts would be to separate the minor cases in
volving only violations Of the ordinances from the
more serious crimes Of larceny, burglary and as
sault. 1t the miner cases, he said, which
clogged the business of the courts.
that civilian officers. instead of members OF the
police force, should be employed to the courts
The Improvement, he thought, would lie in the fact
that civilian officers would be responsible to the
magistrates and subject their orders The wit
also decried the necessity imposing large
fire for ordinary cases Of intoxication, and de-
nounced the methods Of the police in making
wholesale arrests Of women in the streets He de-
clared emphadcaly that segregation the only
remedy for street walking He thought that on
GERS making such wholesale arrests without suf-
fcient evidence should be broke"
Magistrate Finn said that the detail Of proba-
tion officers should not be left at the beck ard call
of who might be offended because mag
strate criticised offended officer. He thought
some method should be devised by which the mag
strates might be provided with probation officers
whose character was known them and upon
whom they could rely implicitly
Magistrate House testified in detail regarding his
suggestion that the court clerks be separated
from the magistrate that they would be outside the
couTtrooms. AS to his suggestion that minutes be
taken on all court cases. Magistrate House said:
while I do not wish TO say that cases are fixed
up. yet I think It probable they in cases OF
dsordery houses, excise arrests or securing cash
on a check for which there funds. Such
might be settled before getting to the grand
jury Special Sessions
Magistrate House favored legislation making
summons legal. He also declared that two new
courts were needed to handle the cases coming be
fore the magistrates.
Magistrate Steinert, in speaking about the work
health inspectors said II had taken thirty years
to educate New York in Health Department rules.
and that il would take twenty years longer to edu-
cate Brooklyn
when I In the Health Department" he
said, sanitary superlntendents used to say the
Brooklyn people were country people and liked
country rules We couldn't do anything with
them"