Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-01

N~-~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~~~|~~ department and
-. '7-,1,.e dlate start toward its reorgan-
ization to cure the evils exposed by
the civil service commissions investi-
CATION of open vice and gambling were
urged by Mayor Harrison in his annual
message, sent to the city council.
The mayor spared no words in de-
claring that politics now control the
| police department. He said that when
/ the council, through the committee on
schools, fire, police and civil service.
considers the commissions report and
commentators reorganization
should be brought about which would
stand unaffected by a change in city
administration.
! Contained also in the message was
a summary of the important work ac-
complished by each city department
during the last year. The subway,
outer harbor and local transportation
projects were dealt with in a compre-
hensive manner, and the administra-
tons ideas outlined.
SPEAKS OF REORGANIZATION.
In referring to the proposed reorgan-
ization of the police department the
message says:
1T will be necessary for your honor
able body in the coming year to give
serious consideration to the lines upon
which a proper and efficient organiza-
ton of the police department may be
secured. The recent investigation of
the department by the civil service
commission has disclosed the weak
nesses inherent in the present sys-
TEN. The final report of the investi-
cation contains drastic recommends
lions, many of which are entitled to
earnest consideration.
POLITICS ROOT OF EVIL
Politics may be said to be at the
root of most evils of the department.
By politics is meant not the partisan
ship created by the division of voters
in great parties. though this, of course,
eXerts its influence in police circles,
but the social. religious, racial pull
that asks consideration and advance
ment for an officer not because of his
individual merit, that asks leniency for
him regardless of the offense with
which he may be charged, on the
strength of matters lying entirely out
side the range of police affairs The
elimination of this pull is the pre-,
requisite TO an efficient police system
HONESTY PRIME NECESSITY.
The equation of personal honesty
may be said to determine in largest
measure the individual value of each
officer. A dishonest officer, no mat
ter what his efficiency as a thief-catch
er or his nerte and daring as a de
fender OF life and property, is use
less as a guardian of the law. We
must not forget that the temptations
which beset a policeman are many
and great; the methods by which he
may be approached are most insidious
The men of the department must be
paid good. living wages No leniency
must be shown to dishonesty There
is no place on the department for ;
CRATER Nor should consideration b,
shown the drunkard.
"PtIL" RULES DEPARTMENT..
Political pull in the department
has thrived because of police methods
countenanced and tolerated by tn,
public since the organization of tn,
force. Assignments of men in pIaiI
clothes and in the detective bureau
have been made more at the solici
tation of friends, political and other
wise, than because of the efficienc,
and fitness of the officer. AS far a
the civil service law would permit
promotions have been made for Iik
4. reasons. To counterfeit these evils.
i have recently directed that in all case
where the record of the officer va
clear, promotion should be made b
i choosing the one at the head of tn
eligible list instead of invoking tn
rule Of three waivers and other metz
DDS to advance one favored by poltica
influence. There are men in the d.
partInent Of whom il is said they hav
never worn a uniform. Others hav
1 enjoyed special privileges so long tina
4 their uniforms have been outgrown o
i moth-eaten and never renewed.
The eradication Of pull viii prov
/ the most difficult OF tasks. II NAV b
brought about under one ADMINISTERS