The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-26
BODEKER PRAISES
 LOCAL POLICE FOR
 EFFICIENT WORK
Says Birmingham Is Freer From Vice and Crime Than Any City in
 the South

Deploring the spreading of propa-
 ganda with little foundation regard
 ing vice conditions in Birmingham,
 George Bodeker, former head of the
 office department here and now pres icent of detective agency, with of fees throughout the south, yesterday declared that the city was receiving
 uBdeserved harmful publicity through activities of persons not wholly in- formed on the situation.
 Birmingham is freer from vice and
 crime than any other city in the south, MT. Bodeker declared. He
 cited the wire- tapping cases in At
 lanta, the whisky ring scandal in
 Jacksonville and the unsavory hap pening which occur at regular inter- vals in New Orleans and Memphis as
 few proofs of his assertion. T am sorry to see Birmingham getting unjust criticism about open violations of the prohibition law and fragrant vice practices in the city," said MT. Bodeker. If anyone will 1 take the trouble to visit other cities, as l have done, they will see that NVIuillOnS III ili mn 6 nam aAV AN' better than in other cities. Jackson
 vile, Atlanta, New orleans are fresh southern examples proving this state
 ment.
 Offers ConEratulation T wish to congratulate Commis- sioner Taylor and Chiefs Lyons and Shirley, together with their men, for
 the magnificent work done by them in the last three and one-half years. IT. ere have been fewer murders com
 mitted in Birmingham than in any
 ether city of its size in the country.
 A remarkable number of murderers
 have been apprehended by the otfi- cers here.
 There have been no bank rob
 berries, no payroll holdups and very few highway robberies in the city.
 When these have been committe 1t
 has been usually in some isolated section of the city. l notice from
 reports published that great amount of stolen property has been recov-
 cred and returned to owners. Many have been arrested for burglarles and
 many criminals of all kinds caught. There will always be some men in the police department that go wrong just as they do in other voca-
 tions. I notice that ministers and l lawyers are among those who fall from the path of righteousness. The public should not be surprised that
 some out of 150 to 200 police of ficers should not come up to expcs-
 tatlons and not be tempted. The
 officers in charge have maintained good discipline and l feel as citizen that we have as good a department
 as any city of Blrmingham's size in
 the country
 Only One Criticism
 "I have only one criticism to make and that Is that we should have department double the size of the present one. Of course, the police commissioner cannot work a depart ment personnel larger than he has
 funds to pay. The present depart
 ment, however. is very efficient. I have great confidence in Chiefs Shir-
 ley and Lyons, having worked with
 them for years. q am glad to see that the gooI
 women of Birmingham are going to
 vote. They will have a good effect
 on politics. They should be sure of
 their ground before criticizing, how l ever.
 T am out of politics. I don't want
 any office. My interest is solely in
 Birmingham and my desire is merely
 to see the best man in office. l feel
 that it would be great mistake to elect a man to the board who would
 make a change in the present efff- cient heads if the police and detec- tive departments. I would not vote
 for a man who advocated or winked
 at the liquor or vice traffic"