Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1920-03-30
EFFICIENCY IS
MAYORS ORDER
Seniority Must Give Way to
Efficiency, Mr.. Dorsey Tells
Policemen at the City Hall
FULL POWER FOR CHIEF

Work is Started to Get Best
Out of Department. --0Ider
Men Must Do Equal Work
Following his talk to the members
OF the Perth Amboy police force yes
terday afternoon In the council cham-
Der of the City Hall. Mayor Frank
dorsey, the new head of the police
department. commenced today to
work out a plan of definite action in
order to get real efficiency here.
Mayor Dorsey stated this morning
full power to place his man as he
chooses, In order that the best effi-
cheney might be secured. If, the
mayor said, new member on the
force proves himself better adapted
for certain position on the force he
wishes wishes to see him placed there.
seniority must give way to efficiency.
Mayor Dorsey said, IL the older mem
bers of the force are unable to per-
form certain duties as we'll as young
er and newly appointed men.
Mayor Dorsey after taking tho
names of all the members of the de-
partment stated:
Chief and members of Perth Ambov
police department.:
Il want to begin by saying that
from today on during my admins
tration that l am the head of this
department and that l will exercise
my rights as such. You all know
what has been done during my time
In office in the police department and
| don't propose to go back to recite
something that has had so much
publicity through the newspapers
that it should be impressed on YOU
so that you will remember it as long
as YOU live 1t should not be neces-
saly for me to rehearse 1t at This
time.
II want to say to YOU that every
member of the police department, IL
you call it a department, or If We
were to call it what is left of the de-
partment, or wreck, that we are
going TO separate the good and bad
In the department, and to proceed
along these lines, as l know the good
in the department will aid in the
building up of q new force.
Every man knew what his duties
We're going to be when he Joined tha
departm he knew his compensa-
ton. You entered into an agreement
with the taxpayers and made SOL
emn oath to abide by these rules, so
there is not q chance for a man to
say he did not know what was ex-
peeted of him.
II am going to call upon the mem-
bers of this department, the MEM
bers who hold the honor OF this de-
partment and their families above
the comradeship of some fellow
members who do not deserve his
comradeshlp, TO lend his aid to the
rebuilding of the Perth Amboy police
department and there is only one
way that can be done and that is by
discipline.
II called this meeting for the pasr-
pose of bringing You TO a Common
understanding, to look you in the
eyes and to let you know that l pro-
pose to keep looking you In your
eyes for the rest of my administra-
that are willing to aid all that 10
possible. They know the dishonor
that has been brought upon them'
some are ashamed to appear In their
uniform. When you leave here you
will know that you have duty to
perform. The city voted to allow
you the compensation for which YOU
asked and L want you to go and do
| the duty as it. should be done"
After delivering his general address
| the mayor referred toethe police man
ual and stated that there were lot
| of rules in the book that are good
and others have loop-holes in them.
He stated that he did not want police
to feel any worse than they do about
conditions, but he wanted to illus-
trate to the department something
| that occurred after the scandal or
| two or three months ago.
| He stated there was letter sent
| to him by a woman. which stated
Ithat she was in business In New York,
had been reading about the recent
police scandals and that she had oc-
| casion to come home often on the
midnight train. For that reason she
requested a permit to carry reNol-
yer. for very often she met d police-
man on her way home.
Another illustration the mayor
gave regarding remark that was
made to him while out walking, me
mayor stated that a young fellow
standing with dog, asked II the de-
partment needed a good police dos.
The executive stated that he don't
want these slurs cast at him, and
wants the good policemen to en-
deavor to work. 50 that the depart
ment cannot be slurred.
There Is a rule In the manual which
says, that "A police officer should not
stay from the police station without
notifying the chief at the proper
time. The mayor stated that when
one man stays away, 1t mterieres
with the work Of the department.
The mayor referred to another rule
which he stated had a loophole in 1t.
Tho original rule calls for the officers
to make q report in their book of ar
rests that will come up for trial, A
verbal order was issued saying that
the patrolmen should report all hap
openings on their beat.
Regarding the reports In the book
1.-The mayor requested that every little
Thing that happens on ones beat
should be reported, and in case any
lthing turns up, they VIII be ON the
right side.
A rule which the mayor says Is the
most important in the book. covers
1.-THE reporting by one police of1cer
who knows that another member or
the department is doing wrong. The
person who does q thing may get
away with it for while. but in the
long run he will get caught, and ne
Is sure to squeal on the other mem
bers OF the department who are Try
ing to cover him up, so that the
| guilty party and the ones that are
covering him up win be in hole, the
Regarding the chief. the mayor
stated. YOU have a chief that Is serv-