The Washington herald., 1919-05-11
Our Mail Bag
cRITIcIsEs MAJOR PULLMAN.
Policeman Declares Head Of Police
Department Incompetent.
Editor The Washington Herald:

Editor The Washington Herald.
After reading the numerous criti-
cisms OF our Police Department the
writer. who spent over twenty-one
years as member, both as patrol
man as well as detective sergeant.
and functioned as such under the
supervision OF two former police
chiefs, namely the,Isfe Mai. william
C. Moore and Maj. Richard sylves-
ter, who Is now the head of the Du
Pont Company police establishment.
I am firm In my conviction that the
trouble is with the present execu-
tive and certainly not with the per-
sonnel OF the force.
The present superintendent came
TO his position by the political route
with no practical experience what
so.ver ard full IT ideals that were
entirely impractical and therefore
were doomed to utter failure3 also
coupled with those ideals a fond
ness for using the espionage system
to size up and judge the men that
he was selected to take command
of, many who came from the best OF
families; thorough gentlemen ana
men.
This alone caused the better class
to lose all confidence In this ooyish
chief and to realize that his hench-
men to whom he had the haoit OF
gathering around him by promotion
or detail for the sole reason OF gath-
ering data as to the personnel
would not help them to get justly
liable promotion when one sheuld be
Forthcoming simply, because the
Benzine Board did not want him to
be promoted and they had reasons
that can be at once surmised by the
layman.
He came here with the idea
thoroughly sunk in, that all ponce
men were not to be trusted. OF any
complaint made against them must
be true and the man making .tne
accusation should be supported, re-
gardless OF the fact that the IN
former had a previous police record
for rowdyism. vagrancy ana general
worthlessness. 1t was all the same
his word was accepted notwith-
standing.
He deliberately promoted men 10
high positions to command men VINO
had records on file and still snouio
be on file that should cause a olusn
of shame to appear on the race OF
any red-blooded American VINO
reads them. Does this make lot
efficiency in any kind of an organi-
zation. is this the treatment Con-
gress intended Shout be accorded
the men Of washington's police anu
detective departments when they
were asked to increase salaries OF
appropriate money for the upkeep
and maintenance of a force that mas
nucleus composed of men that
were gathered by men who knew
men and are the equal to any IN the
world and l think that l am soou
Judge, for l have seen them in many
parts of the world.
The criticism that in a measure
reflects on the men should rest
where il belongs. for when com
many of soldiers of any arm Oh the
service is incompetent, slouchy' uh-
disciplined or cowardly in oattle'
does an inspector general report the
men of the company? NO. "ho
then is responsible? -.
NakinR so called detectives OF
cbauneurs who are only boys ana
in no manner trained in the detec-
zion Of crime, that Is crime IN po-
lice sense. is about as proper COM
nliment to men trained oy years
and years OF practical police WORK
a. the employment of twenty women
for a service that does not catch
criminals or the kind real sure
enough man detective should know
how to catch, from above cover anu
in the open.
This is a trade or profession ana
one that many initiate or assume
the monicker, but when you desire
tbo real thing please don't request
amateur or an evangelist to ap-
nrehend your bold. bad burglar ne
NAV get all mussed up trying. Ana
YOU would lose your man oy max
ing this mistake.
AeiIiation and liaison between
sure enough detectives OF dlnerenl
cities was one of the institutions
that worked wonders in appreheno-
ing criminals but when the chiet OF
one police department does all eSe
visiting and corresponding, mostiy
about the trafic regulations, vice
and kindred subjects, with the police
chief of some other city that leans
toward the same subjects, the liai-
SON and affiliation between the men
who know their work is at once de-
stroyed or the results are OF a very
Indifferent nature at best.
Traffic needs one type OF man. So
called vice needs a singular type Of
man, patrolling another type. But
1 am here to tell the world that
criminal detective is still, another
type of man from some our present
chief of police has selected to palm
off on our citizens as thief takers
Very respectfully,
CLARENDON WEIGH.