New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-14
WANTS POLICE CHIEF
FROM The FORCE
Citizens'PrOtective League
Urges Captains Be
Precinct Cars.
.RAPS COMMISSIONER
IN REPORT TO MAYOR
Not Man for Job II He Can't Stop
Graft Without Sacrifice of
Efficiency, II Says.

Make the police captain once more
/ the car of his precinct, Is in effect the
/ plea of the Citizens Protective League
in an attack issued yesterday against
the Police Department.
In the report on police matters pre-
pared by its committee on remedial
measures, il is stated that IL the hon
esty of the Police Department has in
creased as claimed by some. IT has
been at the cost of efficiency, and that
| the Police Commissioner who can't
. prevent grating without sacrificing ef-
fciency is not the man for the job
The attack is addressed to the Mayor
and is sigrcd by Leon Sanders, Frank
Moss, Peter J. Brady, the Rev. &. X
! Van De Water, the Rev. William b
Farrell, the Rev. DR.. II. Pereira
Mendes. Mrs. John Sherwin Crosby
Frank L. Frugone and NJ. J. Koran.
Important changes should be made
in the administration Of the Police
/ Department in order to give citizens
proper protection, which they are not
now receiving. The report declares
the first change recommended is that
all members OF the force should be
held strictly to police duty.
Special stress is laid on the point
that the full powers Of the police cap
tain of olden days should be returned
, to him. and he should be again the
car of his precinct, which should be
the unit of police administration.
Given the power now dele.
gated to the inspector and withheld
from all policemen except on the Wit
ten order Of the Commissioner. po-
lice captain and the men under him
could quickly rid a precinct of gang
sters and criminals OF all classes the
report asserts. H.,
IL the captain had restored to him
the power TO detail men in his com
mand for plain clothes duty, il states,
there would be a great increase IN the
alertness and ambition of the patrol
men TO do detective work, thus increas-
: ing the efficiency of the force.
"These functions" 1t continues
"have been taken away from the police
captain and the men In laudable but
misguided desire to check graft. II, a.
stated, the honesty Of the force has
been improved, it has been improved
at the cost of efficiency.
"The Police Commissioner who mas
not the ability TO prevent grating ex-
cent at the cost Of efficiency is not the
right man for the place. We recon-
mend that the lack of efficiency on the
part of any official or member OF the
force should be sufficient cause Tor re-
moval."
The report further criticises the
present system of dispensing the de-
tective force in branch detective bu
reaus. which ais more than any other
thing responsible for the present In
efficiency of the detective force
| Fault is also found with the aboii'
ton Of the pawnshop squad, and IT IL
asserted that the indifference on the
part of the detective force to all burg
| laries covered by insurance practlcaiiy
guarantees immunity to perpetrators
! of that class of robberies.
The efficiency of the police in the de'
lection and punishment OF homlclds
cases decreased 90 per cent in 1919
compared with 1918, the report asserts
1t also calls for the appointment OF
uniformed chief of police from tht
commanding officers Of the force =,
Other recommendation are that pri
vate detectives be required to show
| standard of character equal to police
men, and that policemen be permitted
| TO enter saloons to obtain excise viola
ton evidence. The police are also
criticised for not complying with rec
concentrations of the Aldermanic com
mittee, and it is pointed out that THESE
were Endorsed by the Mayor IN MS
campaign speeches, and therefore were
part Of his pledges.