The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-10-05
BODEKER SUBMITS
RECOMMENDATIONS
Wants One Patrolman To Each
+. 1000 People
RYALL rs REELECTED
Chief Wants n Giraffe Squad" of sSix-
FoOters' To Do Duty on the
Busy Downtown
Corners
RYALL rs REELECTED

At the first meeting of the new polio,
commission held yesterday morning IL
the office of the mayor, H. Scuddel
Ryan was elected secretary for tive
years. Chief Bodeker submitted hi!
recommendations for the ensuing two
years. The chief asked that the police
force be increased so that there would
be one patrolman to every 1000 inhabi
tants, that the police department bt
placed on a civil service basis in ordel
to eliminate politics, that two we'll
trained bloodhounds be placed at the dis
posal of the police department, that q
traffic squad" be organized who will
work the downtown corners, and that
Captain T. q. Hagood be reduced to po-
sition of patrolman.
The recommendations of the chief in re-
gard to the patrolmen were concurred In
and the board will take up the other
recommendations in the future.
Bodeker's Letter To Commission
The communication of Chief Bodeker
to the commission is as follows:
THE city of Birmingham embraces an
area of As square miles with population
of $4,000. To properly police this vast
territory is no small undertaking. The
inhabitants of Greater Birmingham have
right to ask and demand that their
families, their homes and Their property
be given adequate police protection and
particularly is this true of the territory
recently brought into Birmingham by an
- loo c1 of 7 the
sertion that there is no other city of
equal area and population with as small
police department as we are maintaining.
With the present force, 1t is simply i'm
possible to give the outlying districts the
protection they justly demand. We fire.
quently have reported highway robberies
and murders within the police jurisdic-
ton of the city but we are without men
and means to ruin the criminals to earth.
In my Judgment, the city could not nave
more valuable asset than two of three
well trained bioodhounds for such emer-
gencies. During my service in office L
have inaugurated not the Golden Rule
policy, but / term common sense
policy. 1 have insisted on officers max
ing fewer arrests and have greatly re-
duced the number of arrests
81 hold that. in minor offenses, 1t is
far better and that the end of juctice
is better subserved by putting a man in a
car and sending him home to his FAMILY
rather than putting him in the police
wagon and sending him to jail 1t Is not
the best officer who makes the most ar
rests. but he who best preserves peace
and order with the least number of ar
rests.
Should Eliminate Politics
Politics should be eliminated from this
department entirely. Let efficiency as an
officer be the standard and not his
shrewdness as a politician. Every mem
Der of the department should have the
free and untrammeled right to exercise
his political inclinations according to the
dictates of his own conscience. The
chief of police should never be required
to enter into q political campaign and
scramble for the office, not that l would
fear to submit my record or aspirations
to the people, as witness the result of the
recent election, but 1t is the wrong policy
for the best government of this depart
ment of a great city.
ct heartily indorse putting the depart
ment on civil service basis.
Makes His Recommendations
"In view of the foregoing and to in
crease the efficiency of the department
beg to submit the following recon-
mendations:
THAT the department be increased sc
that there will be one patrolman to every
one thousand inhabitants, or Fraction
thereof.
THAT there be organized a traffic
squad" to work at the crossings in the
business center of the city who shall
give special attention to the safety Of
men. women and children. That the
men of this squad be selected from the
department and shall be six feet or ovel
in height and that they be paid a salary
of 800 90 per month.
THAT your honorable body VIII take
such necessary steps, either by securing
the passage of an act of the legislature
or by such other method as you may
deem legal and proper, to put this de-
nartment under civil service rule and tc
effectualy eliminate politics from the de-
partment.
"That your honorable body take the
necessary and proper steps to supply
the department with a sufficient mum
Der of horses for the patrolman work
ing in the outlying districts. This VII
be absolutely necessary, as 1t will b'
impossible for the men to do this worn
in the winter time on bicycles
THAT the city purchase ana main
tain for the use Of this department a
least two we'll trained blood hounds. TIT
| cost of keeping these hounds will b.
| very small.
"That Sergeant George e. Devine b.
| promoted to the rank of captain.
"That Sergeant Thos. ]. Shirley b.
reelected to the position he now holds
"That Lieutenant J. c. Jordan, Ser
geant M. J. Donlin and Sergeant A. H
Ramage each be promoted to the ranl
Of captain for precinct No. 2, composed