New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-18
WALDO DEFENDS POLICE
Tells Brooklyn Municipal Club
Force Is Better than Ever.
DENIES GRAFT "SYSTEM'

Less Open Gambling and Vice
in City than for Years,
He Declares.
Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo
was the chief speaker last night when
the Municipal Club held its monthly meet
ing at the Hamilton club. Brooklyn He
defended his administrative acts. He adj
mitted that BROOKLYN was badly policed,
and said he expected TO send 10 that
borough a majority Of the four hundred
and fifty new policemen which the Board
of Estimate mas recently made provision
for. When he ended his talk ne asked 4
any one wished 10 question him concern
ing his department. but after a moment
of painful suspense. finding no one ready
TO accept his challenge he left the build
ing.
Chief Magistrate Otto Kempner intro
duced the Commissioner as the hardest
worked. worst criticised and the least APP
preciated public official on the face Of the
continent" Magistrate kempner was
POSTMASTER. About seyenty-fve persons
were present Acting Inspector Joseph
Faurot in charge of the bureau OF ident-
ficauon Of the Police Department, told Of
the work of his bureau. In his speech
the Commissioner said:
In recent editorial was asked
whether l could guarantee that there
were no more unfit men in the department
than formerly. ! do not believe you can
gather llOoO men who represent higher
NN 49,. #afa rgN
have in the Police Department now. You
will always find sore that are wrOng.
You have read IN the papers that ! nave
appointed murderers, thieves. gangsters
and rasCalS perfOrCc. ] want TO take up
the case Of my murderer and | ask
whether you can show any reason why ne
should not have been appointed, TINS
man who was arrested for homicide. etc.
He was driving a trolley car, which ran
over a policeman. The policeman was
killed The man was acquitted ! can't
see why that man should not have been
made a policeman.
Why Fines Were RENTED
Two Of the others were arrested as
small boys for lighting bonfres. Another
as a boy. stole an ear of corn. The other
men. whose appointments ! have been
criticised for. committed offenses not
quite as serious They have attacked the
administration for renting fines. Alto
gether | RENTED forty-four fines, one OF
which was imposed by myself on an in
spectOr Of police because he was not
maintaining proper discipline There
We're thirty-siv of these cases brought
about through the misinterpretauon of an
ambiguous order. They say ! have no
right to remit fines. The only thing
against ii is an opinion of the Corpora
ton Counsel Ignorance Of the law Is no
excuse, but ignorance OF an opinion of
Corporation Counsel is something diff
ferent
The Commissioner then spoke OF the
fourteen reinstatements he had made.
Six. ne said. were in cases where he him
self had reduced the men. He said he
had reinstated them because Of their long
service in the Department and because
some had been punished for mere techni-
calites In support Of his administra-
ton he said that other cities had adopted
the methods Of identifying prisoners
which he had put into operation and that.
under him. upward OF &c per cent OF
property stolen is being returned. When
he entered office, he discovered that many
men were engaged in special duties and
ne had put 100 Of them back to pound
ing the pavement" without lessening the
efficiency OF the Department He then
turned to the question Of handling the
S1LdllOIs
the most difficult problem which faces
his Department He told Of the insttu-
ton of the vice squads. each under
lieutenant responsible directly 10 HIM.
His idea was TO have each squad and lis
chief keep check on every other squad.
He maintained the plan had been sue
cess in spite Of the Becker case. lie
said:
Knowing that. iu many cases, the temp
tatiOn would be very great, hdd lo"F
lieutenants acting independents OF each
other. so that any one wishing 10 buy
police protection would find IL necessary
for them 10 bride four men whose dcialls
] constantly changed. SO far; lhey nave
not shown that anybody has bought pro
lection. Ia one instance. where a ponce
lieutenant was alleged TO be IN partner
snip with q gambling house, that house
actually remained open twenty seven
days. 10 the recent trial IN Manhattan
Il was shown they did not deliver pro-
lection. So far they have not been able
to show anyone able 10 buy them all
The administration il not responsible Tor
acts when IL mas taken every prccdutlOH
against individuals one young man to-
night asked me whether ! did not think
that ] had been deceived by some OF my
Ueutenants. No. The whole organization
] have built up is to prevent deception.
The result is to-day that you Will ma
less EdlIbilIS anu l''0 bl''4A lApob'N'''' ''''
than before in the history OF the CITY.
They have been Investigating the depart
ment for six months and they have not
found anything about il under the head
OF administration TO criticise.
The Commissioner declared he did not
think good results would come from TAX
ing the handling OF vice away from the
police and vesting il in a special COM
mittee.
Before the dinner fifty members Of the
club made an inspection Of Police Head
quarters under the guidance of Acting
Inspector Faurot. They were also taken
through the Clinton street police station.
OSCAR WINS $4,000 SUIT