The Detroit times., 1910-01-19
FADs FIGU1E| I
DEM0RAL|zAII0
0FP0L|CE DEPI.
Patrolmen Kept Busy On 'gli
Ordinance Violations, whils - 3
Crime RIourishss - Never -
fore in City's Hisessy.
Traffic Squad IN xxpasivs xnD
Which Means Lsasthaaisg = -
and Richsr Riakiag fse csssnL

s'Sss - eASayo ov~4 49, ~ - - 4
Discipline. in the dstsctive burpar
means that every man In the burooo
knows that Chief Mcdonnell h boony
ana u he forgets, he IL sharply ~
minded Of II.
This IN explanation Of the reaoonG
why the Detroit police department. -
honeycombed with jealousies. 8
Up to a few years ago, John. y,
Downey. now superintendent Of polioo,
was assistant chief Of detectives, 49,
der Capt. James Mcdonnell. NcDonr
nell had the same ideas Of discipline
then. that he holds now. Assistant
Chief John ]. Downey came In 1u4
his share Of that discipline.
Frank c. Andrews became the nrut
one-man police head. and he appoint
ed John J. Downey superintendent oe
police.
Superintendent Downey was novor
In charge OF a police precinct In hiD
life. He didn't rise from police CAP
tain to police superintendent. He won
promoted. over the heads Of the othGE
captains. and over the head OF hfo
chief, James Mcdonnell, to the pol
tion OF supreme power In the actual
service.
Downey went into the superintend.
ent's Office with the power to ina1o
use OF his memories Of duty under tho
iron hand Of Chief Mcdonnell.
But Chief Mcdonnell has always ~
membered that John J. Downey wae
once under his command. This IL the.
ground plan for the friction betweeni
Supt. Downey and Chief NcDonnelIl
Chief Mcdonnell takes those order ia
O most un-Christian spirit.
How Baker-Me DonneII Feud Aroso.
For the friction between McDonnell
and Capt. Baker, only the anim0sf1y
OF the plainciothes men, workfng ~
cross purposes to the uniformed -ne6
are responsible. And Capt. Baker vo3
once at the head Of the detecfivo
bureau. but was victim Of changInG
| |adfIthib<fnkion. '3
Capt. Bakerss open and avoved e.
the unpardonablc sin. suf1cient 70 ex-
superintendent and the captain OF the
most important police precinct.
But. lest the plain taxpaying citizen
gain the idea that the whole police
department trouble Is centered In po-.
lice headquarters. II might be said
that the outside precinct stations are
just as deeply mixed In the broil. A.
meeting of police captains. In police
headquarters, is a bi-weekly sessfon
of armed neutrality. Supt. Downey
does not like several of the captains.
He doesn't like Capt John T. 6pillane.
of Garfield station. Capt. Spillane's
son, dentist, was an active partisan
Of DR.. Carstens. once Republican,
nominee for mayor.
Supt. Downey heard that DR.. Spfl-
lane was freely announcing that IN
the event Of the election Of DIR. Cars
tens, Capt. Spill1ne would be super
intendent OF police. Which was an
other objectionable sin In the eyes Of
Supt. Downey.
other captains figure In the samo
armed neutrality.
Police Commissioner Croul knows
that, too.
Jealousies are the main cause Of tho
crippling of the police Department.
But there are other causes which corr
plete the Job. n
They are ideas" Many OF them aro1
ideas Of Supt Downey. Some. les
In number, are the personal ideas cl
Police Commissioner Croul.
supt. Downsy's Hobby.
One of the ideas OF Supt. Downey =
the filing Of ordinance complaints. y
is a hobby of Supt. Downey, and
through him, became a hobby. of 20
lice Commissioner Croul, who has ~
ceived most OF his police departmeue
schooling from Downey.
Every man on the police force voo
egged ON to make a record for hiuor
self in getting complaints againN
citizens who violate ordinances
Every man was told that 1t was the
superintendent's wish. and the super
intendent is supreme. AS a result,
most of the policemen In DETROIT
would rather file an ordinance com
plant than catch burglar. There u
rivalry for the record In number ok
complaints. AS high as 100 have been
fled In one week. Less than 10 p0r
cent OF these result In fines. or even
censure from the courts.
And one day when the central pre-
cinct squad reported for duty. just
two men stood In line. to 60 out ana
cover the whole central precinct
business houses. saloons. residences
and all.
II Is the same in every precinct ~
the city. The police are looking ror
ashes. for untethered horses. and for
tho Thousand and one peccadiloe9 ~