The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-26
POLICE REFORM
 IN NEW HAVEN.
Official Investigation Reveals Shocking Conditions and
 CIean-Up is Assured
Se' 'geants in Plain Clothes to Scour City as Result of Blau Girl Case = Mayor Rice's Statement

New Haven. July 2S-A determined
 effort has been started to cleanse the
 police department The Journal
 Courier says the effort is admittedly
 attributed to that papers expose ot
 the assault upon Ella Blau, 4the pretty
 little Chestnut street girl, by a pa E1rolman in uniform, who is still a
 member of the force. Two high city
 authorities yesterday told a represen- l tative of that paper that the Blail
 case had been the means of unearth- l Ing a situation of which they little
 dreamed. They had no idea affairs were so bad until the agitation of the Blau case by the Courier started the i deepest probe the police department has experienced in many years.
 1 This probe has fallen upon the
 Grand avenue precinct with much
 more severity than elsewhere, but it is l also likely to penetrate other quarters l before rock bottom is reached.
 In the first place, to show the earn l estness with which the effort in ques- | has made determined statement in i which he says fearlessly that some of | the men might look for their dismissal unless certain conditions are improv- ed In regard to the Blau case the | Mayor is very emphatic and expresses
 confidence that the man who commit | ted the outrageous crime will event. ually be dealt with as he deserves. | Certain opera tions in the cleanup l are to be left in the hands of Ser geants Spencer, Doherty and Hunt, l who have been appointed to special duty in citizens clothes. They are not l inspectors as there is no provision in the charter for such police officials. They are to be under the immediate I supervision of Chief Cowles and to I report directly to him.
 PLAIN CLOTHES OFFICERS+ l Sergeant Doherty's territory will be I the whole city during the day time, I while Sergeant Hunt will cover the I central territory during the night, coming up from the Grand avenue
 station. Sergeant Spencer will go to 1 Grand avenue from the center and he l and Hunt will change back and forth as circumstances may warrant. Their l particular duties will be to see that the men are properly performing their
 duties. If they find a man careless 1 they will warn him and they will also
 who do not show comprehensive I idea of their responsibilities. Re | peated Attractions of the rules or care l less performance of their duties will
 result in their being brought up on II the carpet. & # Has%Ih6 new QuLleS OL fpd1c LuI0C pOAlSc Esergeants, Chief Cowles announces, Twill cause no marked change in the regular working hours of the men. .ts SERGEANTS ALL REPUBLICANS. | Some cold water was thrown upon I the appointments of the three ser l geants whena+it was alleged that all | three are Republicans and that tive l of them belong to the Young Mems
 Republican club. A 5 Il This matter was put squarely before I Mayor Rice and he was very emphatIe I in saving that he did not know who the men were until the appointments T were made, and was unaware of theil Il nolitics. Commissioner Isbell declared II that the matter had Deen left in large T measure to Chief Cowles and all were T confident that the best men had beer } lchosen for the work when all things
 are considered.
 Il NO POLITICS. IT IS CLAIMED :.
 Both the Mayor and the commis' sione4. were certain that politics Woulc | not enter into the work of the ser. Il geants, who had been told to go aheac | fearlessly and protect nobody. Bs their deeds ye shall know them.' sale one man.
 T set of recommendations were ! adopted at the police board meeting Wednesday afternoon, one Of Whlcf
 covered the appointment of the ser geants.
 Another of significant interest give: , Chief Cowles the commissioners room as a private office and here he may examine in private any patrolman ol s1 rocaive in rriyate any citizen.