The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-10-10


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In previous editorial we urged the necessity
for uniformng the Logan City police force. We
believed at that time that such move was in
line with the progress which is being manifested
by cities much smaller than Logan situated at va
rious points throughout the country. We endeav-
ored to point out that uniformed police gave to
city metropolitan air. That it impressed stran-
gers with the fact that tht city was upto.date,
that II a means Of Identification for those who
might be in need of the services of officer; that
it served the purpose of protecting the officers from
the possibility of assault wherein the individual
committing the might not know otherwise,
that he assailing police officer. We were
surprised later to learn however that one Of the
members of the local police force, and one in a
POSITION OF AUTHORITY, had resented most
keenly the suggestion of uniforming the police,
and had boosted in most bombastc manner that
they would compel him to wear uniform
Now this on the face of 1t appears to be more
than passing strange Why should an officer Of
the police force in Logan object to wearing the
uniform of his calling, when the custom is almost
universal? In fact, in cities of the first, second
and third class throughout the country, every Of
fcer of the police force is in uniform. The mat
ter of this gentleman's keen objection to the
has been for much wonderment Surely
the gentleman being paid by the city Of Logan
does not consider himself above wearing the uni
form which distinguishes his calling! Surely it
is no disgrace to be police officer in the city of
Logan! What then can be the objection? II the
gentleman is above wearing the uniform of his
calling, then it follows by the token, that he
should be above accepting pay from the citizens
of the community in which he lives
But there may be same method in the gentle
mans madness. Uniforms very conspicuous
and npn Z,
easily distinguished from the ordinary citizen, and
in case his services were required it would be
simple matter to pick him out from among his
many brethren, and to draft him for the same.
Such demand might result IN serious nconven-
ence. 1t is possible and highly probable that he
might be engaged in very interesting converse
ton with a friend and from which he does not care
to be summarily summoned. 1t is also probable
that he may have just become comfortably seated
in Morris chair in a convenient club room, or
in the private Office of friend, and 1t Is most
repugnant to officers finer sensibtes to be
suddenly aroused from a pleasant reverie to go
out and impress some recalcitrant individual with
the Importance Of UNFOLDING the law.
In other words, without beating longer around
the bush, there is something radically wrong with
the Logan City police force AS an instance OF
this, on certain day last week an exgency arose
wherein one of our business men required the i'm
mediate services of an officer. He called up the
office, but no response. The signal lights located
upon the two busiest corners in the commercial
district OF the city turned on, and still no
response from the police department The first
call was made at little after three o'clock in the
afternoon, and little before .alf past five or over
two hours later someone casually called up from
the police headquarters and asked what was wan.
ted.
Just stop and consider for a moment what
this condition of things means! What II day
light burglar had got into home and some lone
woman was calling for protection. Say, for in
stance, little child had fallen into a stream, and
the parents and friends were calling for assist.
ance to rescue the child Let us assume that the
whitney Brothers others of their type had
come down Logan Canyon, and had entered one
OF the local banks and were demanding at the point
of pistol that the officials in charge turn over
the funds of the same. In fact, any OF hun
dred exigencies may have arisen in this length Of
time demanding the services of the police.
But the result would have been the same Tn,
office would have been found closed and the doc
locked, and out of the number of policemen WHIT
are paid for patroling the city not one could hav
been found in the business district Of the tow
during those two odd hours on that particular al
ternoon
As stated above, there is something radical
ly wrong with such system 1t is not pun
pose to find fault with anyone unnecessarily, bu
1t is our purpose as public medium to point ou
the possibilities OF danger to the citizens Of Ii
gan, In the lax methods that now employed b
the present police force. AS before stated, It
not our purpose to impose burden upon the Il
cal officers, but 1t is purpose that they ma
he m An m raat NJ nnhItc 40,