The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-21
Police Commissioner Baker Resigns and Is Replaced
 By Brooklyn Man
GAYNOR TELLS NEW MEN
 HOW ID CONDUCT OFFICE
The Mayor Says He Has Been Ready to Make Changes in the Depart ment for Some Time But
 Wanted to Be Ready

New York, October 2O.-The long ex- rected shake-up in the administration of the police department occurred late today when the announcement was made from Mayor Gaynors office that Police Com missioner W. F. Baker and his deputies, Frederick H. Bugher and Charles Kirby, had resigned.
 James c. Cropsey, Brooklyn lawyer, was named to succeed MT. Baker. Gle ment J. Driscoll. who has attracted pub lie attention recently by his activity as commissioner of weights and measures, was appointed first deputy to succeed Mir Bugher, and Capt. William J. Flynn, chief operative of the United States se- cret service, was made head of the> de- tective bureau, with the title of second deputy
 This is in line with the mayors inten- tion to reorganze.
 The changes, while long expected, came with an abruptness not unfamiliar since Mayor Gaynor took office. It had been expected that the mayor, following the disagreement between Commissioner Ba- ker and Acting Mayor Mitchell while Mir. Gaynor was convalescing at St. James from his wound, would make changes in the department and there was some surprise that he did not act earlier. But the mayor was not ready and smoothed the matter over until he was ready to act. That time came to- day.
 Commissioner Bakers letter of resig- nation was not made public, but the mayor gave out his own acceptance of tit, stating that in the work of the de- partment he had always found MT. Ba- ker intelligent and earnest. He also gave out a long letter to the new com missioner, MT. Cropsey, in which he makes known the fact that iH-IJnly, nearly four months ago, he was prepar- ing to make changes in the police de- partment, but that, after further consid- eration, he had concluded to postpone the matter until the return from his vaca- tion so that things could go into opera ton under his personal observation. The mayor also points out the manner In which he wishes the department con- ducted.
 "so that you may fully understand the objects I had in view, he writes, T now state to you the most important of the gradual processes by which they have been developed and carried out since January 1. They have been in large degree educational to the force, and therefore had to be developed gradually. ,
 The first of these, the mayor says, was to teach the members of the police force to be law-abiding themselves. and the second to teach them that they must treat citizens respectfully. The third step entered upon was gradual reduc- ton of petty and needless arrests. and the fourth the enforcement of the liquor tax law in the way provided therein. Fifth, he says, the systematic effort was begun and Is still in progress to stop the collection of graft
 'rWe have now arrived at point" says the mayor, where forward steps must be taken with system and pa- : tience."
 James C. Cropsey, the new police com missioner is 4S years old, and is well known in Brooklyn as an able lawyer. He is of the old Cropsey family of Brook lyn and has long been known to MT. Gaynor.
 Clement J. Driscoll, his first deputy. Is 30 years old and. before his appointment as commissioner of weights and meas ures, was a newspaper reporter at the city hall.
 William J. Flynn, who is to reorganize the detective bureau, has made an en- viable reputation in the federal secret service, with which he has been con- nected for IS years. He is 42 years old.