The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-10
STATEMENT ISSUED
 . BY PRESIDENT WARD
Head of Commission Breaks Long Silence and Con-
 mends Police

A formal statement commencing the police department and the present gen. eral criminal condition of the city was
 issued yesterday by President George Ward of the city commission. Gambling. yagrancy. immoral houses
 and other species of the criminal ele- ment have been put out of business 1 he says. Ii is the first official state
 ment from MT. Ward bearing on police conditions since the discharge of
 George Bodeker as chief of police two
 months ago. 1t contains some signifi-
 cant statements and Is as follows: ] "As one of the commissioners, I feel l that the police and detective depart
 ments should be commended for the eff fective way in which crime is being suppressed in the city of Birmingham. 1 ",rhe public should be advised of the
 Improvements in conditions as com
 pared with four months ago. or four years ago.
 l There is undoubtedly less crime, law
 lessness and disorder in general in this
 community than has existed in the past seven years.
 1 Gambling is practically suppressed Immoral houses have been put out Of business. Wherever these houses try to | re- establish themselves, they are speed | fly closed and made to move again. There are less than one-half as many of these professionals in the city of l Birmingham today than there has ever been here before.
 "rhe vagrancy situa rion is under con Hvct n There has been over thousand ar rested and a great many convictions. The entire crowd of professional vag- rants, white and colored understand thoroughly that their dives and hang outs are not now protected, as for merly. Many of these chronic vagrants have gone to work, and if they do not continue to work they will be ar rested again. There are fewer pick pockets, fewer burglars and fewer holdups.
 There is less demoralization in the police department today than at any time in the past seven years.
 "Every member of the force under-
 stands that merit and gentlemanly be- havior now governs. and they are not 
 to get promotion or hold their jobs, it
 will be necessary to save up three or four hundred dollars and lend it out to an advantage.
 Most of the members of the force have accepted the changes that have taken place In a fine spirit and are do-
 ing their best to keep the department clean and efficient
 'They realize that there is now no controlling power between them and the head of the government more pow erful than the government itself
 "The police and detective conditions are steadily getting in better shape and are working with more certainty
 in their different spheres.
 "These departments are now serving
 the whole public and are not spending all of their time serving the influential and powerful.
 "The fact that the police and detec- tive departments keep check on each other, fore or less. is not a bad condi- ton. It is something that was Ions needed.
 Probably this is the first time in sev- en years that anybody knew what the detectives did to earn their salaries or how they spent their time on duty or off duty.
 '"Nhis good natured contest between the two departments to show efficiency
 
 illegal businesses out of commission, and has resulted in nothing but good for the community
 "The people in general are satisfied with the situation, and they will be
 more satifed as soon as they realize tle great improvement that has taken place, as compared with four months ago
 "There seems to be nobody disturbed over the present situation except the criminal element and a few newspaper reporters.
 Captain Eaean, under Judge Lanes l supervision, has a free hand in con
 trolling his department. He is not ham, pered in any way and is showing by | results what great good can be ac- complished when the police departA ment is allowed to enforce the law on | all people alike, regardless of whether or not they are powerful or influential politically.
 "As matter of fact, I feel safe in
 making the prediction that the number
 of homicides or attempted homicides
 will be reduced by one-half during the year 1914, as compared with the year
 1918. Such revolution in the criminal
 situation must be noticed and is wor- | thy of comment.
 "The people of Jefferson county have
 now an opportunity that they have been longing for for 20 years That is,
 to give the lawless element and the people who are financing the lawless
 element such crushing blow on | April 6 that their stranglehold on the judicial machinery, which should pro | tect life and property. will be broken l for many a year to come. The progress
 we are now making should not be l H.