The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-21
PERPLEXINC POLICE PROBLEM
FOR EUROPEAN CITIES TO SOLVE
RAYMOND B. Fosdick,
After an investigation
Lasting Two Years,
Tells How Patrolmen
Abroad Are Trained
and Equipped

Abroad Are Trained
and Equipped
A STUDY Of police problems in
~ European cities by Raymond
n B. F'osdick. former Commits
sicner Of Accounts Of the city
OF New York. was issued yesterday
by the Century Company under the
title European Police Systems" The
material for Mr.. Fosdlck's book was
drawn from extended personal inquiry |
and observation In London, Liverpool,
Manchester. Birmingham, Glasgow,
Edinburgh. Paris. Lyons. Berlin. Ham
burg, Bremen. Dresden, Munich. SUIT !
cart, Cologne, Vienna, Budapest,
Rome, Brussels. Amsterdam and Rot
terdam. To the investigation of the
subjec, and the preparation OF the
hook Mr.. Fosdick devoted nearly two
years.
Looking al the results of his studies
from the standpoint of American in
terests, the striking act disclosed is
the uniform integrity OF European
policemen. Nowhere in Europe is
here any such phenomenon as We in
America call system General cor
rupt,on and favoritism are absolutely
unknown.
ION the whole" says Mr.. t'osdick.
the police forces of Europe bear an
excellent reputation. Scandals are
i~nfreauent. With few exceptions
both officers and men have the rom
hdcnce of the public. It is only DC
c~asonally thai one hears of dishon-(
esty. Even suspicious OF dishonesty
are not common. The police are not
associated with dishonesty in the pub
ic Imagination.
THE citizens Of a community are
aonHdent of the ability of the COM
missioner both 10 discover corruption
1t exists and To deal with it cNec-
ryely when found. with a trained
commissioned wn s." personal char
acter il above suspicion. u whose
powers Of acton sie largo. the public
: satisfied that the integrity of the
alnN and n'c viii be r's.diy main
aimed. y European city. therefore,
inclined In take the nuaes.y OF its
roi.ca force a. ? mace of coarse
For ;his sta Of affairs there are.
n Mr.. Fosd!ck's Judgment. several
reasons. FIRST, tn" mead 81 a Euro
..au police force is a trained and ~
uerienccd man. armei with adequate
power. European police admin.stra-
..cr : a G.sGust profe. 'on. II $
.eldom that u man * chosen from
N unrelated line of activity 10 mead
. police department The chief OF n
department-the president. the ccai-
missioner. the director. the prcIeci'
whatever his t~!tlc--ls generally - jar
81 tra ned in government work.
an the mind. of E%lropsag authorI-
les military experience l. not the
sine qua non OF police management OF
sell il does not constitute a sufticient
guarantee of effectiveness or inteilI-
gcnce IN supervising the complex ana
Intensive affairs OF a polio" department
50 too n mar who has made n record
,s an efficient engineer. or who mas
established a reputation a. a physician
or health expert is not necess1rilN
equipped for the task. \ police mead
must be specially trained FOR his work
ordinarily the man whom the CONT
rcntal authorities select as
sioner has served his apprenticeship
,.ther ar an assistant in the same de-
partment or as a Commissioner in a
ess important city or as an official
\ another governmental branch"
NJ. F'osdick emphasizes particularly
no power of the head OF the police to
discipline his men as he sees Iii.
The usual attitude %! o European
lily toward its Police Commissioner IL
me 81 trust. When, after careful Sc
,ction IL chooses "A man 10 head its
uolice force. il endows him with ample
povor, and expects him 10 use them
wisely. only in a few of the pro-
nc,al cities Of England. IN the Dutch
ties. and in the smaller nur!clpall-
les Of Germany Is there any disposl
ton 10 lie the hands Of the Commits
soner or to prevent his exercising free
snd almost unrestricted control over
'ht men who constitute the uniformed
force.
seldom j. there an att"mp, 10 sur
round him with any system OF checks
and balances or 10 erect barriers
against the possible abuse OF his pow
rs. Thus in London the Commissioned
- the final and absolute authority on
al matters of discipline. and while &C.
aslonal endeavors are made TO secure
from the Home Secretary a reVersal
~ 'hr commits -ioncr's decisions huca
attempts have invariably proved run
a,- The Commissioner may levy hnes
Ha',n reductions IN rank or IN rate oil
ar oy dismiss uniformed %
s force and no court, tribunal or
o''. = c>torual BODY has power 10 re
V,V II, action. This is true IN nearly
..,. argc city Of Europe.
SO osc he head Of your force
w. rupu,ous care; clothe nm wiz
power; make him responsible
o. maxim was repeated by onic'al'
p .yer Europe. \ commissioner wht
uo. rrre to take direct action wher
reasonable suspicion falls on particu'
100 policemen AM be held ulti'
r..'-.y responsible for evil conditions
u., force. In 80 far ar the Euro
u authorities have recognized TIM
hud tao recognition has been al
. uuiversai-th have placed theil
.n-.rs upon the main key to the stu
hNur'
IN. second reason fer Inc integrity
ID efficiency of the European polic'
apartment Is found in the careful Sc
notion and training Of the patrolmen
Mi. Eusdich dcvotes an entire chapt"
discussion Df the schools an