The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-09-16
NEW CHIEFS FEET SMALL
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HOWEVER, IDEAS ARE BIG
BY E. A. Peters

"What the Tacoma police
department-and some of
the vice elements which the
police are supposed to watch
need most these days is a
good, old-fashioned house
cleaning.
1.-THE department has been
operating for years on the
most undignified hick-town
basis. It's time that some
thing was done to make it
look metropolitan, and to
give IL some dignity.
"l'm going to try to do the
job"
Police Chief Harry M. Smith,
who began active service today
as head of the city's peace Off
GERS, is the youngest chief OF po-
lice that Tacoma has ever en-
proved.
He is only 46 years OF age--a
term Of years that is young IN the
average run of police executives.
And with Chief Smiths COM
pRrati,e youth comes enlhusjasm
and great desire to moderate
the force.
Although at least half of the
men under him are older, this
new chief has already outlined a
plan OF reorganization that is
revolutionary, from the stand
point of the "standpat" element
of the old guard on the depart
ment. ..... .... ss4....
Their awe and surprise that
such ideas should be injected into
the Tacoma department do not
reach a point of rebellion, be-
cause these same cops realize that
similar ideas have been highly
successful in other cities.
They simply had never mag
ined that Tacoma would ever de-
velop a modern police admins
tration. !
Chief Smiths feet are
small.
Maybe you never thought
about IL before, but you will
find few police officers who
do not wear diversified shoes.
He has been a member of
the department for eight
years, but he is almost
"civilian chief" at that.
For during his service he
has never "walked a beat" or
worked as u detective.
IL is this active leg-wOrk
by policemen that swells
their pedal extremities.
Smiths first employment was
that of clerk for the police de-
partment.
While employed as clerk he |
took interest in the new identifi-
cation system invented by NJ. Ber-
tillon of Paris, and studied the |
plan.
When Tacoma began to con-
slider the installation of Bertil-
Ion outfit at police headquarters,
Officer Smith was on hand with a
knowledge of the work.
He went to Portland to study
under the Identification man
there, and surprised that individ-
ual by demonstrating that he
knew even more than Portland
about M. Bertillon's finger print
research.
Smith developed one of the
most complete catalogue systems
of criminals finger prints to be
found in the west.
Harry Smith may not have had
experience In the rougher ele-
ments of police work, but he has
spent eight hard years studying
the inside workings of the Taco
ma department and the scientific
end of thief-catching.
He has brains, an equipment
which is not always over-promi-
nent among policemen.
The new chief had been chief
less than 10 minutes when he ap-
pointed Detective ID. o. SMITH
no relative-one of the best |
equipped detectives on the de-
captain of the detective
squad.
A half hour later Chief Smith |
issued an order placing the ban
on all dice shaking.
The cigar men had failed to
obey Commissioner Pettit's re-
cent edict restricting the dice
games, So Smith took 1t upon him
self to abolish the cubes.
That is only a start.
Young men with ability and in
genuity are going to take up the
detective work, and do the sleuth-
ing that has heretofore been as
signed to old-time cops whose
final reward for political favors
was appointment ITO the plain
Smith has in mind a young de-
tective for a captaincy.
He has a list of several sleep