The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-07-07
REoRGANIzING THE POLICE FORCE


ably take more than g month to reorganlze the
police department Of Kenosha but it is Of IN
terest to Kenosha that Chief Logan has start
ed this work If it can be done with thorough
ness and with the cooperation of most every
one it is going to be Of decided value to all
the people CT the city. The Kenosha police
force has been growing, like everything else
in Kenosha, without any fixed and definite plan
It has been pretty efficient force in the past
but the changes which have already been put
into operation by the new chief should make
for new efficiency
The new chief appreciates the fact that the
head of the department must have something
to do besides arrest women for gossiplng over
clothes line or men for petty thieving. These
are important and necessary functions of a po-
lice force but in order to have them accom-
plshed in the best possible way the proper or
ganization of the force is necessary. In past
years about everything known to police duty
has been crowded upon the head of the depart
ment He has been expected to work day and
night and Sundays and smile through it ALL
He has been expected to be responsible for
driving the neighbors chickens out of the back
yard, for abating every nuisance which comes
up for the capture of every man wanted for
crime and for the recovery of everything miss
ing from the community. 1t has been made
personal matter by most of the people.
The new chief seems to have an appreciation
that he cannot be ALL do all and see all and he
has suggested proper divisions of the work of
the department. He has right off the bat
shown excellent judgment in placing Detective
Charles Rock at the head of the detective force
and he has demanded that this force be in
creased Rock is one of the most capable de-
tectives ever associated with police~force in
this section of the country. He has initiative
and ingenuity and if he had proper working
force under him h. could Eff bg burden from
the shoulders N the chief of the department
and give xnt people assurance of better pfotec-
ton. "a has been suggested that he be given
thEee' men, He should have at least five men
in citizens clothes to do this work.
Logan is not going to try to be traffic cop.
He has other men to do this work and he may
need more He is going to give the police Of
ficers what he considers fairer hours. His
idea, and it is the right idea, is that men who
are satisfied that the burden of police work is
being properly divided are going to do their
part better.
The chief has starter right and the import
ant thing is to see to it that he continues right
To do this he must have definite plan to work
to. He should have chart which is going to
show the very definite duties of each depart
n1ent of the police force with some idea Of what
the development Of these departments is going
to be in the future.
There should be the closest cooperation be-
H. Ill O.Iso
mission and the council It should be under
stood that the three are going to work together
with definite ideas for the improvement of the
force and with the assurance that everything
done is working toward this definite idea.
The chief is expected to study his men. If
there are bad men in the force they should he
dismissed at once If there are careless men
they should be eliminated with as little loss of
time as possible. The chief should demand
that the men in police uniforms in Kenosha be
real men just as we'll as real police officers
They must be brought to know that there is
more to being policeman than walking a beat
That policemen have eyes that see and ears
which hear and that they have hands which
act for the protection of the public It isn't
possible to eliminate criticism Of the police de-
partment but it is possible to instilI public con
dence This is the thing most needed by the
police force at the present time The people
want to be brought to see that they have off
GERS who they know are doing their work rath
er than serving the private interests of small
portion of the people.
If Chief Logan can get his men working SC
as to bring this confidence to the people it is
pretty certain that he will have the co-opera
ton of the people. ~
There is dutv for every citizen and that