Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-12-07


not 80 much professional opinion might go .
long way toward cleaning uD another situation
that has come to be the laughing stock Of the
community.
Again, there is the matter Of vacation and the
lunch hour for the patrolmsn while on duty.
Whenever officer is caught of his beat, in a
lunch wagon or in a saloos--beg pardon, In a
store tthere are no saloons any more. you know
-he is invariably getting his lunch. 1t seems
there no rules or regulations for the patrol
man regarding getting his lunch while on duty.
The chief has allowed twenty minutes out of
the eight hours that a patfolman serves, for
lunch, but apparently the twenty minutes can
be taken any time and the iunch can be secured
any place. so that even whom patrolman is
found asleep in an automobile in a garage. he,
of course, had merely left his post for twenty
minutes to get his lunch.
The vacation period is ansther undetermined
time. 1t seems the chief decides to take his just
when he learns that the mayor is about to clean
up the city of lawiessness ~ calling in outside
help. Even though he may Aot leave the city,
the fact that he is officially vacation let's
him out, apparently. The mayor then throws
up his hands and the county prosecutor steps in
acting chief prefers charges against one of the
patrolmen But by the time the accused man is
given a hearing the chief has returned and the
acting chief has gone on his vacation. The
chief when called upon for evidence against the
patrolman. says he knows nothing about it, and
the acting chief. who is supposed to know. being
away, no testimony on the part of those for
mally making the charge is given-what
farce!
What the police department needs most of
all is a complete reorganization. Nearly every
city in the country has been experiencing such
a shake-up of late for the good of the service.
In fact. most cities have a general transfer and
OF the department periodically
1t Is found necessary for the general welfare.
Here in Perth Amboy we have grown from
country town size to a real city department with
such thing unknown. II We had an ideal
department, without a fault to be found, this
condition would be justified. But with recent
events, police charges. and hearings fresh in
mind, who will say that things cannot be i'm
proved?
The people of Perth Amboy have repeatedly
voted for increased pay for the police depart
ment, for bonuses and for everything else that
admitted that the department as it exists to-
day has lost the respect and confidence of
great majority of the citizens.
That there are some high class, conscien-
iious men tho police force there is no doubt.
but these men are discredited in the eyes of the
public because Of the company they are in. For
the sake of these men who want to do their duty
but who are retarded by the system that con-
trolls their actions Reorganization is desired.
This is one Of the great problems that con-
fronts the new city administration According
to law, some of the oldest members of the po-
lice force will retire half pay after the first
Of the year. Among those who to go are
some Of the high officials. This affords an ex-
cellent opportunity to reorganize the whole de-
partment and start an entirely new regime. For
the good of Perth Amboy 1t ought to be done.
Confidence cannot be restored untib it is ac-
,omplished.