The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

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 complished through them. Most of the other hearings have been devoted to an inquiry into methods of selection. dismiss al and reinstatement Of policemen.
 Below are some of the more impor-' tant facts disclosed.
 Applicants for positions on the force either denied or forgot arrests for big amy. stealing, homicide, gambling. se- duction, disorderly conduct assault etc
 They told other lies as to previous em- ployment, reasons for discharge date Of birth Qncluding forged ertiicates) fear ing that the truth would prevent ap- pointment
 The Investigating department of the police department which had uncovered the bad records of the applicants and proven them perjurers was abolished
 The civil service commission at the tune the investigating bureau was abol- lshed Was not equipped to conduct proper character investigation.
 Men under charges were allowed 10 resign of their own free will.n thus retaining clean record and eligibility for appointment 10 any other depart ment. or for reinstatement as cops within a year.
 Rehearings have been ordered in cases
 
 heard. One dismissed officer who had been out for nine years was reinstated after he had been refused by other com- missioners. and by the court of appeals. which declared the dismissal proper" and the man without legal rights"
 All of this seems far removed from an effort to locate the grafters who it is claimed have been collecting millions of protection money annually but closer analysis impresses one with the superior merit of the method the committee is pursuing. It is important to find the grafters and put them off the force, but it is vastly more important to analyze methods which permit Becker to get on the force and once on to remain without detection. If there is a system" 1t is important to smash it and locate it's bene- ficiaries, but it is of more lasting im- portance to get facts on which organiza- tion and methods can be developed which will make it increasingly difficult, if not l impossible, for the system to live. l The committee is getting these facts. i No matter how efficient or how honest 1 the head of the police department may be, the system of selecting new patrolmen 1 is such that criminal and periurers be- come police officers, he cannot prevent \ the development of graft. Rigid discipline 1 is essential to efficient police admlnis- tration. Many go so far as to say that 1 in order to maintain proper discipline no dismissed officer should ever be taken | back on the force. If, then, rehearngs | are ordered contrary to law: if men who 1 should be dismissed are permitted to re- ! sign: if reinstatements are made in cases where men were dismissed for lying to superior officers. sleeping on duty, falsi- 1 flying records. etc. discipline cannot be made effective. These are facts on which constructive measures may be based. afa F.,.., gl Ia..t ing solution of the problems there re- mains a vast amount of work to be done The police problem in the past has been attacked sporadically. There has been f generally, not only in New York but throughout the country, failure to view the problem comprehensiVely. Attention has been eentered on particular phases usually on graft and crime growing out of police connivance with those who find it profitable to break the lag Responsi- ble officials and the public have often confused cause and effect thinking that by removing superficial symptoms, perma- nent cures could be effected
 Another mistake has usually been made in failing to study any agency for en- forcement of law other than the police de- partment. Other agencies such as the courts. probation officers. district attor- ney, Teformatory institutions. prisons, ex- else department, etc. bear q relation to the control of vice and crime as important in some. respects as is that of the police department Any proposed reform which is not based on knowledge of this rea- tion will be partial and probably tenn porary
 It is too early to make any predictions as to the amount of this work the com mittee will be able to do. Ii has made good start and should be commended for taking the course it has, rather than one which would have led into a spectacular search for graft and crime. The latter method at best would have brought only temporary relief: in the other there is hope of permanent gain. Other cities should not miss the opportunity to profit by all this. What New York is doing they should be preparing to do before an incident similar to the Rosenthal mur- der demands action.