The Detroit times., 1910-01-19
PETTY JEAL0USIES
HONEYCOMb THE
POLICE DEPT.
Constant Guerrilla Warfare Between
Detectives n and Patrolmen and
Within Ranks of Each Results
in Gross Inefficiency.
Supt. Downey and Captains Nc
Donnell and Baker Nurse Feuds
and Carnival of Crime Goes On.

Unsolved murder mysteries. cpl
denies OF "holdups." burglar raids. in
which residence sections, one after
another are plundered at will, with
the raiders leaving the police with
out a clue" lead To that insistent and
oft-repeated question:
What is the matter with the police
department?
It's an honest. sincere question from
the taxpaying citizen, "the man on
the outside"
Police Commissioner Croul knows
what is the matter
Supt Downey knows.
Chief OF Detectives Mcdonnell
knows.
And every precinct captain, every
precinct detective. lieutenant, SER
geant. and even the patrolman who
has been ION tho job" long enough to
know anything about the police force.
knows what is the cause OF the in
efficiency in the Detroit police depart
ment
II Is the old, old axiom of the house
divided against itself"
The man on the outsde-the tax
payer who foots the bills-has n right
TO know. And Police Commissioner
Croul could tell the whole story to
the taXpayers-if he wanted to.
It's a story that begins with "Jeal-
ousy." and ends with Intrigue" 1t
! is story OF petty. personal strife
within the department, which is divid.
ed into "Tongs' which would put
Chinatown to shame.
Harpoon In Constant Use.
The local department is most
furtive institution. Half of the men
in 1t are looking for the other half, TO
use the harpoon on the slightest
Iprovocation
'Police politics" is nothing more
nor less than a constant broil of petty
feuds. personal spites. and jealousies
ments.
And Commissioner Croul knows
that. only too we'll
He grabbed the bull right by the
horns when ne took Office. He I'M
doubtedly planned TO frd out JUST
WHAT WAS THE MATTER. And he
found out and he is right at this mo.
ment mixed up in the biggest broil of
jealousles that the department ever
yet felt.
He probably pictured the detectives,
or "hy cops" and the patrolmen as
working hand in hand, in a united,
though occasionally ineffective search
for the enemies OF society. Instead.
he found the detectives fighting the
patrolmen, and the patrolmen fighting
the detectives.
Not with drawn weapons, but In an
everlasting guerrilla warfare OF deeds
and actions. Let patrolman. or a
squad OF patrolmen make a capture.
and the detectives belittle it, or even
60 so far, as in the past. to try to dis
prove It.
Let detective be on the hot trail OF
good thing. and unless the patrol
man happens to be the man who fur
rished the tip, the latro.man will let
tie Dick" work odt his own saliva
ton.
Carries On Guerilla Warfare.
A detective far outranks a patrol
man. He can afford to openly snub
y patrolman. A patrolman can carry
OH HIS Hlllt
the "hy cops" cnly in delicate little
ways known best 20 the policeman.
Meanwhile, IL case" by which
might be meant the capture of a MUIR
dercr, the breaking up of gang OF
burglars. or the arrest of some particu-
lar thief. be "a detective case" with
the glory I'm the detective bureau in
the event OF a capture, 10 patrolinan
is going to break his neck to make
that capture.
On the other hand. IL an ordinary
copper" wants a man. detective
doesn't pay any attention to that case
at all. It's beneath his dignity.
And so the guerrilla warfare goes on.
It's as old as the department. New
feuds. new factions, are forming every
day.
And to stamp it all out, Police Com
missioner Croul handed the reins OF
Police government over to John j.
DoWney SuDerintendent through varv-