The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-08-08
Police and the Golden Rule.

At least New York has a mayor who
does things, and IL Is plain that he is in
earnest in trying to make the municipal
ity he governs little more human than
II has been. He recently visited one Of
his city's night courts TO see how the
laws We're administered. and what he
discovered rather disgusted him, as well
IL might
He found that one Of the prisoners was
a boy who had been brought in by a
policeman because he had thrown a rub
Der ball in the street
Another boy occupied the attention Of
the night court because he had been
caught dancing a jig on a building plat
form.
Two men, who had not fought nor
threatened to. were under arrest because
their dispute was too noisy to suit the
policeman.
Another arrest was that Of a cook
because some one said that he had stolen
a cold chicken.
As Mayor Gaynor very sapiently re-
marked. not half OF the arrests should
have been made at all There were a
number Of cases in which the public
interest would have been better con-
served had the policemen only warned
the offenders and asked them 10 desist
The greater number OF these arrests for
petty or no offenses were made by the
most unintelligent men on the force: the
efficient and intelligent policemen avoid
making arrests except for obvious mis-
demeanors or crimes.
And so the mayor is going to try 10 put
in force that golden rule" that was first
operated in Cleveland. Ohio under Chief
OF Police Kohler 1t was found there
that warning had as good an effect as
indiscriminate arrests, and was not
nearly so costly. Mayor Gaynor wants
the police Of New York to apply the
same principles, but he wants them ap-
piled intelligently If possible The opera
ton Of such plan leaves a good deal
10 the discretion of the ordinary police
man. and, OF course. in the hands Of
unfaithful patrolmen it may be used 10
favor street-corner loafers and hoodlums
These dangers can be prevented by in
telligent supervision and control, and II
Mayor Gaynor will attend to that part
o. it there should be little difficulty in
putting his plan into operation.
There are few things that bring about
disrespect for the law so rapidly as the
practice Of indscriminate and unintelli-
gent arrests. We have suffered from II
frightfully right here in the District Of
Columbia. where there are "a thousand
and one petty and Irritating regulations
Of which the general public knows little
or nothing. but which it would observe
II It knew. 1t is in securing the obedi-
ence 70 these regulations that the inteIlI-
gence Of the policeman is called upon.
He should be instructed to use his dis
erection so as to discriminate between an
innocent transgressor Of some little
known ordinance or law and the willful
ohender One trouble, Of course. Is that
policemen are taught 10 think that great
activity in arrests speaks well for them.
whereas. as a matter Of fact, that police
man should be adjudged the best public
servant who keeps his beat In good con-
dition with the minimum Of arrests.
We shall watch the application Of
Mayor Gaynor's experiment in New York
with great interest. and with the sincere
hope that the success in that city Of the
new rule may lead our own police Off
Gals to adopt a more intelligent policy.