Norwich bulletin., 1920-08-07
(spselal. to The Ralletin.l

PteSS which indicates that the n0itee de% ings are not to his liking and that he in- tends changing some ot the police meth oSs. He declares that if the fault is with the management of the department, fndl- 5 rectiy referring to the captain, that there IS liable to be 9 change in the manage R,ent-i 1t is indicated that those hiShkr up in the department are just as liable to be called upon the carpet as is the newest supernumerary. All of which sounds well but it has tinGe of escaping hot air,
 The captain of the police fierce is cap tain in name and salary enty. Every body that knows anything of the working of the department knova that littlA fhine- He is simply the rnouthpiecs of ths chair nan of the committee and is sirarlt sup posed to receive and aelfvey erdsra. ..hnt to ae nothing of any import in relation to The department. without eesnnsitteA or- ders. and therefore ought not be AslG se- ceuntable if tAees orders do net result as she committee intended, although the Or 6ers are received. delivered and executed ia good faith. It WAuid be . pretty 'htw- de-do if the real rnaasgeuaent Of the pc lice force took a notion to do httie self investigation. Sure, there ts much that tS not right in the police deeartAAnt There hare Been many aAsstsetsd crimes even since the police fierce has eeen more than douhfe. but that Is no se- rseus reflection on the force. Such things 60 happen in the largest cities in the country that are supplied with the vers- best of experienced officers and men. In New London this condition EaiSht be tIa. proved bit were the direct management of the police force proper left wtth the captain, who Is closer to the men End police matters than is any ofieions com lsitteeman. If this was the condition there would be a better mutual under standing between the captain and the men that would materially add to the general efficiency of police service. The captain s not free to command. free te do his fall duty to the people. for fear of h. curing the enrnfty of the committee. IL Is for the common council gentlemen te a<der and the captain and his men obey, Military discipline Is all right fn ;ts place, but it Is mistake to undertake te have military discipline applied to 8 police department Ike that in New IAadon. and To the sacrifice of the kind of police Eork eAat is best for the city. The men higher ID in the department ought not to be continually looking for trouble, CT be bent on prosecuting some cop that some time ar other treaded on the tees of committee man or some personal friend. thereof. Tkese things have been done in other sites outside of New Londen, but surely cat here.
 That three-platssn systsR as warased out in New London is q detriment rather than a benetn to the city. ard Is an tia- necessary imposition on the members of the force Under the platoon rule the of fcers are expected to do the impossible in patrol service. It Is known that they cannot cover the beats 10 which they are assigned and at the same time report fa to headquarters at the specified intervals. Under the three-piatoon system tile changes are so frequent that the routine os living is entirely changed and it is diff lcult for the officers to know just where they are at They must 1t Themselves to at least monthly changes in the hours of sleep and meals, and there is 50 ynGeh needless irresulsyity in their plan of liv- ing that it is becoming a question whether the life of New Lendqn police man is hardly worth while.
 Then there is that marked diserfnIzs. tion in the general treatment of the men on the force that does not tend to har- nnenize and thereby increase the general efficiency Of the force, that ought to be as Of one family united, and not be divided into small factions against itself. All of which Is due 10 the lack of direct author ity of the captain. In the eid days the chairman of the police committee nst eAly directly governed the police but he made daily early morning visits to the leekun and decided which of the prisoners would be released and which would he teld fer trial. That was going it rather strensi but it went for many years.
 When Bryan E. Aahan vas mayer of the city of New London he found the ways and the means of building side walks, after many preceding mayors had failed h the attempt While mayor more than 90 miles of sidewalks were built. al- most under his personal supervision. Since then. for varied reasons, to the general public unknown, there has been iaxity in sidewalk construction, although there has been something doing in that line at in- tervals. Under the ordinance, slasvatEs are laid by the city. one-haif ee the ex- pease being borne by the city prepes and tho other half by the nroserty. owners benefited. the bill for the same beine in- ciuded i2 the tax bill next to be ee.lsetea and treated as a part of that tax bill. Ny this rnathod money is saved the city and property owner, as leng stretches are contracted for at the same time.
 4 gentleman freM Ltadsn street put 8 pretty Pcnzi plan over on the mayor and the court of common council at the "a. cent meeting of that body. He te,d the council that there was. absolute need for sidewalks in little Linden street and asked II the property owners in that street could not receive deserved recognition in the sidewalk line. Ae was informed by tns mayor that the council appreciated that sidewalks were needed in Linden street, and in ether sections st the city, put none were being laid, as 1t was i'm. possible to get the required cement used n their construction. This led Alderman GrasaR to remark that nowadays aay- thing could be had, even hseeh. # tke price was forthcoming.
 Here Is where fhs xentIemax frana Tin. den street got in his fine weyk. He told the mayor and the council that he would not only get the cement but wea!s have The sidewalks laid to the faii satisfsct!an ef the committee of the council the city to deduct frera the tax hiils ef the pPep- eFty owners en that street ene-haif the actual cost of the improvement TNis Nt- tie proposition tcek, and the council ae- cepted the effsr. So Linden stkees is fs have sidewalks, while other seetians of the city must wait the slew aetien of the council. It will be noted that the terms are really in accordance with the city oF. dinance and that Linden street will re- oeiVe attention somewhat cut of turn.
 is natter of fact. the siaewsiks tn Linden street will be paid for just as eeser sidewalks have been. Halt the cost VII De assessed against tho prepesty owners and Will be collected with the res. ufsr lax next due. It eansot be done any other way under the erdina1,ee Tba.s viii be no deductions in the tax A;II ,rbs face of the Dill will be paid and the city will settle the rest. Tine eaiy difference being that both property owners in that street and the city proper will pay tee much for the whistle Ths vrorf- v-s,,ia