Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-09
COMMITTEE ON POLICY
GIVES VERBAL ORDERS
Records of Police Board DO Not
Show All Instructions
Given Chief.
WERNER MAKES NO COMMENT
Chief Will Not Discuss Statement OF
Commissioner Boykin That He
Has Not Been Hampered in Deal
ing With Vice Outside of District.

| Chief OF Police Louis Werner yes
! terday refused to discuss in any way
the statement made by Commissioner
! III. VI. Boykfn that the Board of Po-
! lice Commissioners had several times
| directed the chief to enforce the law
regarding houses of common resort To-
Gated outside the so-called segregated
district
| Commissioner Boykin, in n statement
given The Times Dispatch Sunday
night. said that tho inference drawn
from the Vice Commissions report to
the effect tina; the Board had inter-
Tered with the Chief OF Police and had
prevented him from exercising his au-
;hority in closing houses of nl-repute
throughout the city was without foun-
dalton. He said that the records OF
tho board meetings would show that
on several occasions the chief had been
specifically instructed to enforce these
laws
RESORTS OUTSIDE OF DISTRICT
WELL. KNOWN TO POLICE
That the evil does exist to an alarm
ing degree. and that only about one
third OF these supposed TO be housed
IN the segregated district really live
In that section OF the city, are facts
clearly brought out In the recent report
OF Mayor Ainslic'S Vice Commission 1t
"as shown that the existence of these
resorts outside the aggregated district
vas known TO the police. The report
commended Chief Werner, and recon-
mended that he be placed In absolute
authority to deal with the situation In
this recommendation and commentator
the Vice Commission made absolutely
no mention of the Board OF Police
commissioners, and several members OF
the board, in statements given this
paper. have expressed the opinion that
they feel themselves personally at
tackled
Commissioner W. Douglas Gordon
mas stated that he will welcome an
investigation at any time. Commits
Sioners w. H. Parker and +. w Thomas
nave said they have favored the chief
having absolute authority throughout
their connection with the Police Board
Commissioner Boykin says the chief
mas not been interferred with Com
missioner Goode has denied all knowl-
edge of the Vice COMMISSIONS renort.
Commissioner We'll has refused to dis
cnss the situation. No statements have
been secured from Commissioners Nc
Carthy and Bradley.
COMMITTEE On POLICY
GIVES VERBAL ORDERS
y pertinent fact concerning the meth
Police Commissioners was brought TO
light yesterday. The Board meet
ings are held behind closed doors, and
nothing Is known of its work except
that gathered from the brief notice
given out after each meeting by the
secretary. 1t is known that the board,
as body. takes action on only the
most important business which. comes
10 Its attention. All of the routine
business is performed by committees
Among several committees Is that
called the Committee on Policy It Is
composed Of Commissioners We'll, Boy
kin and Parker. and its duty 1t to de-
termine the policy which the depart
ment is TO assume>in regard to the gen
cral administration OF the laws This
committee does not walt TO report it's
findings TO the entire board, IL is said.
hut meets and makes its recommends
tons directly to the Chief OF Police.
AS the committee is subcommittee
there are no full minutes Of it's meet
inSs Kept, and. as in the case of other
Subcommittecs, 1T often renders Its rec
concentrations to the chief by word OF
mouth.
The board, as n body. might instruct
the chief to one course, and a commit
tee, after investigation. might verbally
instruct him to another. There would
be no record of the latter instruction.
although rules OF the department ex-
piicity state, II is claimed that All
orders and instructions shall be written.