New Britain herald., 1916-12-22
OFFICIAL SPANKING
 FOR SAFETY BOARD
Mayor QuiSley lnStruCtS Primary
 Class in Police Work

| until 12:30 o'clock this morning, gave the commissioners E. G. Babcock, | Frank Moran and H. M Steele, some 1 pointed advice on how to conduct the police department business on an l efficient scale and among other things | he called attention to the absolute necessity of the board thinking for itself on all matters and not taking any action without fully ana1yzing the ! reasons and the probable results Above all things, Mayor Quigley forcibly told his commissioners, they must be sure they are right before they criticize and change and, when they do take such action it must be because they know of their own knowledge that conditions are wrong, and not because of hearsay gossip or because Somebody told them so.''
 Wants More Efficiency.
 The mayor left the meeting of the charter revision committee so that he might appear before the safety board and air his views on certain matters to the members. It was chiefly con- corning the efficiency of the police de- partment that the mayor spoke and he told the commissioners that too
 
 8 political football, and too long have the commissioners and policemen been working at cross purposes. He expressed the belief that the police department at present is an efficient body, but he said there are many in- stances where it can be made more efficient and this should be done.
 It was in reference to the proposed shifting of the sergeants including the shifting of the detective bureau official every three months, that the mayor was chiefly interested. He positively stated that he is not in favor of such a move' as he believes it to be for the best interests of the police departm ent to have the detective bureau and the l detective sergeant permanent. He 1 considers the detective sergeant and ! the detective bureau a distinct depart l ment from the other sergeants. Re- ! garding the shifting of the two street sergeants and the desk sergeant the | mayor has no complaint. In connec- i ton with a possible shift of the de- tective sergeant, Mayor Quigley said ; such action should never be taken , unless it is positively proved that the department and it's official is in efficient. But before any action is 1 ever taken the governing body must 1 positively ascertain whether or not it . is really inefficient. TO ascertain this the governing body should thoroughly . Investigate the work that Is being done . and then compare it with the work , done by similar departments in other places. Unless the record shows the | local departme be below the aver age there is no reason to think it is inefficient.
 Can Bamforth Be Denoted.
 Asked today whether or not he had instructed the safety board to re- scind it's previous order which would make Detective Sergeant Samuel Bamforth to give way to another ser geant, according to the proposed quar- terly shifts, Mayor Qugley replied that he had given the board no in structions at all, but had simply given them a sound, business lecture. He did state, however,, that it is pos sible that the order shifting Sergeant Bamforth may be rescinded, and he is doubtful whether or not the detec- tive sergeant will have to go out on a beat. In this connection there seems to be a legal technicality which might prevent such orders of the safety board from being arbitrarily carried out. The charter provides for a detective sergeant and specifies what his duties shall be. Sergeant Bam- forth was appointed under this char ter and to shift him now might be considered in reality a demotion. A demotion cannot be. made, it is said, without charges being preferred against an officer and a hearing grant ed. Thus, it might appear that de- spite the wishes of the safety board, or of certain members, Detective Ser geant Bamforth is sure of his job for the time being at least.
 Favors Male Janitor.
 Mayor Quigley has also expressed himself as being strongly opposed to . having a woman in charge of the janitOr work at police headquarters. He feels that it is essentially a mans job, especially that part of the work which brings the janitor into the cell room. He suggests that this matter be thoroughly investigated before any final action is taken.
 Back Up Chicf-NIayor.
 In connection with his advisory talk to the safety board last night, Mayor Quigley declared that the board should not act with snap judgment or without any comprehen- sive plan for the future. The way to get the best results in the police de- partment, the mayor said, is to have the executive board outline an fntelli- gent, comprehensive and efficient l system to be followed out, just as does the health board and the board of ! public works Then, with this plan in mind the board should strive for the ultimate realization of the object. Mayor Quigley stated that the board should make these positive plans and i then "back up your chief of police' in enforcing them.
 Another thing against which the 1