New-York tribune., 1919-04-21
Protection of the Public Is
Weakened by Leniency
Shown Patrolmen Who
Abandon Posts, He Says
Cash Fines Are Lifted
Probation or n Reprimand
Only Punishment Given
Offenders, He tharscs

raNse Department diselriine has
hssn destroyed and tho protection Of
The public weakened, William nulleek.
director Of the Good Government Ru-
reau. declared Yesterday, hy the lenien-
ev shown by the Enright administration
to patrolmen who abandon their posts.
"Praetieal immunity" he asserted. has
attended this offence since the day
Lieutenant Richard +. Enright became
Police Commissioner. In the statement
given out by Mr.. Bullock he says:
Under prior administrations, and
especially under Police Commissioner
Arthur Woods, patrolmen were severely
and drastically dealt with for improper
natrol and abandonment Of posts.
Heavy fines were imposed for first
offences. Repeated charges were made
4 cause for dismissal from the force.
By these and other means patrolmen
we're taught that improper patrolling
and desertion OF their posts were grave
and serious offences, impairing disci-
pline ana opening the door to crime.
Cash Fines Lifted
commissioner Enright has lifted the
fning system from patrolmen abandon
ing their posts and otherwise NEGLECT
ing their police duty. Instead OF the
fines IN cash which were found an
effective corrective measure by former
police administrations, Commissioner
Enrighr has persisted since he took
office in subjectIng patro,men guilty
OF sbandoalng their beats or of i'm
proper patrol to short terms Of pro-
baton or merely a reprimand.
"Moreover Commissioner Enright
has substituted still a third and even
more lenient plan of treating offending
policemen This is the system known
as reserved decision.' BY this means
trials have been followed by prolonged
pOstPonenents, frequently lasting
months in imposing the nominal pun
ishment Of probation or reprimand in
the cases OF aagrant police offenders"
Mr. Bu-och's statements are based.
he says, upon 2 study of the trial rec
ords made by his bureau. He lists
twenty-three cases tried IN 1918, after
Commissioner Enright's accession.
They are those of patrolmen found
guilty OF being in saloons, IN theatres.
in hotels. in automobiles and elsewhere
when they should have been on post.
Not one Of them was fined Their pun
ishments We're probation" or repri-
mand.
Politics Charged
Mr. Bullock related that on January
u, 1918, the day following Enright's
appointment by Mayor Hylan, Mounted
PaIrolmsn William II. Thompson, of
Traffic Squad D. in Brooklyn, was
brought up on charges by Sergeant
Hugh Myers for having been dismount-
ed and almost block away from his
horse
Myers testified before Deputy Com
missioner Leach, the trial judge, that
when he rebuked Thompson for neg
Letting traffic ne was told not to worry
about traffic" adding: you'll be on
Staten Island in about two weeks
The politicians Will attend 10 you"
The offender was found guilty; his
sentence was three months probation
The complaining sergeant vss trans
tesred to tae 10th Inspection District
IN Brooklyn.
On March l. Of last year he was
again the complainant before Deputy
commissioner Leach against Mounted
fstro man William F. beecher, also Of
Traffic Squad D. who was charged with
threatening 20 strlke his superior Of
heeF Flndlng beeeher guilty, Com
missioner Leach said,
y waAs 10 make IL plain wont tol-
crate iHsehefdiaasiea' Beeehef'a sen
'shee wa SIX months probation.