Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-04-07
POLICE BOARD
HAS NEW LEAD
ON INSPECTOR"
Rumor Has 1t He May Guide
Proposed Force of Po-
liceWomen.
THEFTS IN OLD PRECINCT
STILL TO BE CLEARED UP
Commissioners May Know
Their Minds TomorroW-May
Shift Captains, Too.

That the Board of Police Commis-
sioners has under advisement the APP
pointment of several policewomen
was a 'rumor current today. There is
a large field in the city for police
work by women. If appointed they
will be employed in investigating
social conditions, will police theatres
and dance halls, and perform other
duties for which the policewoman is
said by some TO be better fitted than
the policeman.
1t is further rumored that the po-
licewomen will be under direct charge
of Captain and Acting Inspector
John e. Brown, who commands the
Eighth precinct to justify one title
and does nothing in particular yet to
justify the other. The appointment
of policewomen will thus further
serve the purposes OF the police board
by providing something for Captain
Brown to do in his capacity CT "act-
ing inspector"
The board appears to be casting
about rather unsuccessfully to find
something for an "acting inspector
to do. From the statements of the
various commissioners 1t appears
that an ''acting inspector is under
the chief of police, and also that he
is independent of the chief. 1t fur
ther appears that the "acting in
spector' will see that the "orders of
the chief and of this board are being
carried out" and also that the board
has not decided what the "acting in
afxx.f =
which commissioner one takes as
authority.
What Inspector May Do.
According to one commissioner,
Captain Brown, in addition to COM
manding the Eighth precinct, will
tour the city daily, spyiRg to see that
the orders Of the board and the chief
are carried out The chiefs executive
duties make it impossible for him to
DO this personally, it is said, and he
needs someone with more time to
devote to the work"
Captain browns precinct, where
the duties are so light that its COM
mander has -more time for execu-
tive work throughout the city, po-
Ices the Forest Hill section. So
many robberies have occurred there
in the last few months that many of
the residents have protested to the
board of the inadequate police pro-
lection and talked of forming a citi-
zens' vigilance committee to police
the section.
Newark has only one policewoman
at present, Mrs. Elizabeth Hughes,
who Is attached to the chiefs Office.
The work which Mrs. Hughes has ac-
oomplished has shown the possibih-
ties in this branch Of police activity.
Shifts Arc Probable.
1t is possible that the board at its
regular meeting tomorrow will agree
upon the duties of an acting inspec-
tor 1t is also possible that they will
agree on certain shifts among the
captains, which many insist are due
1t is generally thought that the
board will not leave Captain John
Caffrey in the First precinct, and
further rumor has it that Captain
Frank Tuite will not remain long in
command of the detective bureau at
police headquarters. 1t is said that
the commissioners have not yet been
able to agree on the shifts among
the captains.
Although one captaincy has been
made vacant by the death of Cap
tain Ryan, and another will be by
the retirement of Captain Stucky on
May 1, it may be that the commits
sioners will be in no hurry to make
promotions. That is, not while they
are demoting other officers at least.