Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-05-23
A GOLDEN RULE CHIEF.

The city OF Cleveland has CHIEF OF
police who believes In the efficacy OF
the golden rule 10 the treatment OF
criminals. And as he has tried MS
theory long enough 20 demonstrate us
correctness. it is worthy OF general
attention.
chief OF Police Fred Kohler in 1908
made the following statement to an
assembly Of police chiefs. at Detroit'
1T has been said. as you gentlemen,
with your long experience IN ponce
business. know, that the police unWl-
unviv and unwittingly perhaps, nave
been as instrumental I'm making Grim
mails as any other agency-poverty,he r-
ftaqa ad association excepted. This We
bavo dome by making these numerous
arrests of first Offenders, by exposing
and branding them with police court
and prison records. we nave uls-
outraged men We have driven young
men and weak men 10 the haunts ana
association OF habitual and expert
criminals. who have taught them the
ideals and the practices Of crime We
have nourished. we have not prevented
crime. The time has come to change
am this. and I believe that we In Cleve-
land have found way to do IT.
What Is this way?
At Christmas time, 1907. chief Kohler
after mature consideration called his
men together and instructed them
never 20 arrest first offenders FOR mis-
demeanors. but "a warn them, I'm a
friendly spirit and inform them as 20
what the law is. II there was a dis
turhance on tho streets. or neigh
borhood row they were 10 learn the
cause and. n the trouble was trivial,
send the men about their business.
When they found a man drunk. they
were 10 send him home, and to take
him home n he was too drunk 70 get
there himself u took some time be
fore the men realized what was wanted
OF them but gradually they caught on.
and now the people have a kindly feel
ing for the policemen and these feel
the importance of their responsibilities.
Frederic C.. Howe has made the
golden rule" police regime in C1cve-
land the subject Of a very interesting
article In Fverybodys Magazine for
june. re pays special attention 10 the
manner On which child Offenders are
handled They are never taken to the
policc court: they are watched al home.
II found absolutely necessary. they are
sent out 20 "Eoyvllle," an attractive
farm colony with thirteen cottages and
schools and workshops whore there are
opportunities for both work and play.
There rs no suggestion ~ q prison here.
There are no policemen and no obvious
reform school methods by these
means crime is checked In its early
stages
Mr Howe saws that Tor years there
have beer no gambling houses in
Cleveland and NO gambling parapher-
MALTA Gambling was stamped out with
an axe. There are no slot machines IN
the saloons. and no pool rooms
Gamblers. saloon keepers, and the
vicious classes generally are controlled
by police administration rather than
by crusades raids and wholesale ar
rests. Thcre Is little or no street sorc-
iting, and when arrests are made for
this o0cnse, men are taken, as well as
women when Mayor Johnson was
elected. he found the city ia partner
ship with vice. He stopped this, as
every police chief would do n he we're
doing his duty
Mr.. Howe claims that notwithstand-
ing the authority given each indivi-
dual officer there is no police graft
and no blackmail IN Cleveland. And
the result. as stated by the Chief him
| self is:
There Is less crime in Cleveland.
less property stolen In spite OF the
hard times than there ever
was before. Tho non-arrost of minor
| offender leaves the police free TO ar
rest criminals We made more arrests
for crimes I'm 1908. under the new
policy than we did IN 907 under the
| old. although tho total number OF
| arrests for all otenses was but To-
| 0s5 in 1908 as against 30.Fs I'M 1907
| The Common Sense Policy cut down
the number Of arrests the first year
by COS per cent. Even with this re-
duction, nearly one half OF those arr
rested were discharged by the courts.
| and only one thousand OF the arrests
were for crimes. Today but one ar
rest out of ten Is for crime
Under the old policy there was only