The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-07-11
JUDGE WATKINS URGES W1DER
. AUTHORITY FOR POLICE
FORCE.
Cites Possibility Of Additional Revenue,
Were Municipal Court Given
Jurisdiction.

Jurisdiction.
! Adoption uf an ordinance authorizing
! the Wheeling police department. IL try
! all offenders arrested by members oA
: the police department. including pris'
! uncrS whose Off"nS"S would constitute
! violations If the prnh.oitlon laws "f
! tho state. was recommended III Il letter
! from Police Judge Marsh Watkins 10
! City Manager u. q. Magic. Rad brtor"
! council last evening. The letter was
| referred TO City Solicitor NJ. j. Cuill-
nan, who will determine just how Tar
/ the city council may go III pr"fld'ns
tor lis police court all the powers vest
cd IN justices Of the peace by III" state
! laws and report back to council. Mt.
, Cullinan Indicated that IN revising ana
cudifying the city ordinances. II Is MS
intention to present such ordinances IN
all cases where il is legal To do So JuSN
as rapidly nS they can be- drawn up
Judge Watkins in his letter cites the
fact that within the present nohlh sew
! er:,l arrests have bcrn made by the po-
licr department in cases Whcre INC
= prisoners have been charger with wa
| Ialing III" liquor laws. and the lines
have been imposed by Justices Of th'
! .rraCr for thr stat" because Inc CITY
! has no ordinance empowering IN" po-
| lice force Ia try such cases before inc
! police court. Tho municipal judge points
| out that tho city would derry" an APP
prcciH bic amount OF r"Ncnu" Sn"u'u
such power be vested In the pohc'
court; City Manager Nacl" statHo Fer-
bulIy that about S2hh III fines were I'M
posed ny justices thi. week on mon a'
rested by the. city police.
An ordinance requiring registry III
tho state automobile license numbers
| Of Wheeling citizens. with nominal
foe for making such registry. tho COM
munIcatiun points out. would meet !"
/ mar, tho deficit arising from the loss
| or city Nccnsc tax on automobiles. 30
cause city officials arc prohibited from
receiving foes. il is pointed out. IN"
| city would rcccive the foes NOW pau
! IN justices nj tho peace. w"r" inc po-
Ii>r Indigo authorized 10 try all "ilen"'
rrs arrested by the police.
Judge Watkins letter in part Fol-
! lows:
To Mr.. G.. q. Narl". City Manager
Wheeling. w. Va.
! The Judge Of The polio" court ~ me
! CITY of Wheeling has IN" sam" lhr'S"'.
, tiou as Il justice nr III" rcar" l"r ~ =
! frnses against tn" law committed Win
, in the limits nf the city NJ Nh""l'hS'
: There has apparently mover h'Hh ".'A
! ordinance authorizing AMI directing inc
exercise Of III" Jurisdiction. II arP""rS
that tho police department is
10 hammered In tho discharge Of It's
du,iAs. hy thr necessity of making n
distinction between cases wherein IL
D Violation Of a city ordinance Is involved.
b md where thu nrf"nSr committed is
against tho laws IT the state. IN the
! halter case the Offenders arc turned over
10 tho state for prosecution. In add
lion to tho delay and additional work
required In such cases. thor" may n"
considered tho matter of foes when
/ in case tho aroused were trI"d hrf"r"
/ the notice court. would h" naEahlc /"
tho city. Since under the present char
tor officers may not rrrciN" trcs' 'h"Sr
, wnuId hc in turn paid In the city and
/ become n source Of revenue"
number Of violators Of tho liquor
, laws Of West Virei nia have h""n ar
rested in Wheeling Ivy the members Ut
thr Wheeling police force. These cases
have hcnn tried before justices "f tho
peace and tho fines. which amount |"
fair sum Of money. hay" h""u collected
h,- tho state. In cas-" m ordinance" WAS
! passed. hv the council Of tho city OF
Wheeling. modelled after or based nnnn
tho liquor laws az IN" S'hl". Nh"'h'"IN
or tho liquor ordiranr" might ne tried
before tho police court Of Wheeling.
! The traffic ordinance If tho city.
while not very old has yct hccn 50
amended and traffic. nrnn tho city
streets has So increased iwthin tho past
few years that undnuhi nhly tn" ira:fr
ordinance moods revision. The new
! staic road law. which hcram" effective
n short timr nEn. also imposes upon
! cities which have adopted traffic "rdi-
nanroS Tho necessity Of revision. In
order Ia save time and effort for thu"
City solicitor. Il new traffic ordinance"
has boon drH wn. incorporating within
one ordinance tho traffic ordinance. tn"
auInmnhil" ordinance. tn" lighting "rdi-
nance and tho parking ordnance. This
draft nr nm ordinance has hc"n based
oupnn that used In New York. Clovc-
land and uthnr large towns. with due
regard for tho local conditions. II has
been considered Ivy and approved by the
Ohio Valley Amtomnhilr association
committees. and Is respectfully submit
ted for councils consideration.
In assist in Tho proper enforcement
Of Tho traffic orhjnHnC" II may IN"
adopted. il has hc"n suggested thar Tho
residents Of Wheeling owning autnmn-
hilcS be required Ia register their stat"
Wheeling. a fec Of an amount 10 In
fixed might hn levied for rogistrat ion,
To h" collected by the clerk for III" city.
AMI fees from this SnIIrrc might ovrr-
Cnrnr III part tho deficit now arising
from III" loss at revenue from automn-
bile licenses.
II is therefore respectfully suggested
that council adopt an ordinance author
iznr and directing til" polio" depart
mrnI Ia try all offenders arrested hy 4
hrfHr" the police court: that AN Ordi-
nance h. adopted Incorporating III" I'rin-
cirl"S of the state liquor laws, that n
. nrw traffic ordinance he adopted. either
as submitted or based upon the prin-
rIp"S at tn" urdinanrC submitted. and
: thai an "rhinancr hc adopted requiring
tn" registry Of licenses OF automobiles
owned 10y Wheeling residents.
. lated in his uIfic" TN the subject. and
3 formally stated that hr had nothing
. further tn say than what hc had writ