Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-31
BURGESS ORDERS
STEELTON POLICE
TO HANDLE CASES
Forbids Turning Prisoners
Over to Constables Who
Collect Fees

Orders have been issued by Burgess
Fred Wigfield breaking the practice
| OF Steelton borough police officers OF
turning over their arrests to Com
monwealth officers to permit these to
prosecute the cases and incidentally
| collect costs which the borough Off
GERS would not be permitted to obtain.
! The orders struck Steelton police
circles like a bomb shell for it means
that one of the principal little sources
of easy money for the constables will
hereafter be cut off. Failure to obey
the orders will likely bring recon-
mendations for dismissal from the
| force.
The orders were issued several
weeks ago but the first intimation the
public had of the change was last
week when Chief of Police II. P.
Longnaker prosecuted a case in the
Dauphin county court. When asked
made public a letter written to Il. j.
Nelly, chairman of the police COM
mittee of council, in which he ex-
plains the order.
Cost S2.7OO Last Year
In speaking of the new order, Bur-
CESS Wigfield said, II can see no rea-
son why a borough officer should be
paid a salary for doing his work If
he turns over all his arrests to con-
stables who collect fees from the
county. Last year Steelton constables
were paid about $4,000 in fees. When
you stop to think that our entire
police force is only credited with "a
ceived less than $40 in costs, you can
readily see what saving q new pro-
cedure will be to the taxpayers. The
borough officers hereafter will turn all
their costs into the borough treasury"
Burgess Wigfield's letter follows:
Steelton. Pa.
March %, 1916.
Mr.. T. J. Nelly,
Chairman of the Police Committee,
Steelton, Pa:
My Dear Sir: Since the new
borough code went into effect, I have
written our borough solicitor for an
opinion as to the full status of our
patrolmen. He advises that they have
the same powers as other Common
wealth officers. In view of this fact.
| have issued new orders to our chief
of police and officers, to wit:
In the future all arrests that they
make on view whether State or
borough violations must be prosecuted
by them through the proper channels
instead of turning them over to the
borough constables as heretofore has
been the practice. l feel that this
method will relieve the officers from
the censure that has hitherto been
brought to my notice.
In following out this plan the Off
GERS of course will make out their own
costs to the justice of the peace as
other Commonwealth officers do and
turn the same over to the borough
treasurer as per police regulations. In
carrying out this plan the officers will
get the credit due them for all arrests
made and the borough treasurer will
receive the benefits of our salaried
patrolmen instead of individuals.
/ hope that the new system will
bring about two things; namely: Bet
ter salaries for the officers, which
means more incentive and greater
efficiency, and forever put the police
department above the plane of public
censure.
While this matter seems to be un-
der the executive department, 1 feel
that the legislative department should
be advised of the change, as 1t is q
departure from a regular custom.
AS chairman of the police commit
tee | advise you of the same and will
thank you if you will advise council
| of the change.
! Hoping that everything will work
out to the greatest public good, 1 am,
Yours very truly,
FRED. W1GFIELD,
| Chief Burgess.