The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-06-13
A POLICE CRISIS

While the merits and motives of The deadlock IN
Tampa between The sheriff office and the police
department are local questions, on which it would
be improper for an outsider to pass judgment the
situation raises questions of state wide Importance
which demand considerations
County Judge J. l.. Hazard has decided that
police officers have no authority to execute search
warrants, make arrests for ofenses CHER than VIC
fstoRS IF city ordinances, or handle cases coming
within the jurisdiction Of state statutes This cuts
them off frcmI participation in felony cases, moon
9hius Gases, gambling. and, in fact, from .practi:
scalBsSl activities except fiat of preserving orddr
,sson he Streets '--sa#
While awaiting further Developments the po-
lice simply turning over 10 the s1elia's Office
huqh information as comes to their notice regarding
stheFs, robberies, and either crimes
& 1t is not seriously denied thai judges FIa4a1ds
Interpretation Of the ia, IS correct since the com
tlnon law rules giving constabes and city officers
sco-ordinae authority wlth the sheriff as peace Of
Steers, appear to- be abrogaIed by lie Florida
Statutes At least tha. IS the Judge contention.
4 But Florida ne4ds very different police organ-
ization Like most other states, /; IS suffering from
a surfet of AUTHORITIES and dearlh Of authority
The agencies which oiIghi to work together for
the prevention Of crime are dispersed in half ooz-
Gen organization each jealous Of It's own preroga-
Itives and not bound to cooperate with the Others
sFrom the point of view Of The criminal i is most
FadmirabIe arrangement. Ii gives him a degree of
Ssecurity which almost hits such. ofenses as burg
flary booze7runnlng, and pursersHatching ,out of
rthe extra-hazardous class. While the sherifs and
policemen are setting the point of ,yhqshdl chase
shim, the criminal walks away in safety. ....
Il The remedy, as applied under the existing laws
/ is TO swear in all patrolneF as deputy shenfs his
Eve believe is done in Lakeland and most other
aFlonda cities Il gives Tie police officers all the
sauthoriy they need in handling crime. But it
IS an arrangement depending wholly upon the will
of the sheriff, and therefore lacks the permanence
and gertrude which should attach 10 law enforce
ment At best it is a makeshift, and The fact that
Hilsborough has discarded it, shows that other
: places may do SC.
4 The best remedy, all things considered, is prob
the mounted police Of Canada There is no more
efficient body of men on earth than they and no
locality where law IS more strictly enforced than
the Territory in which they operate. Another fine
example IS the Texas Rangers. whose guardianship
has made western Texas as safe as any other part
Of the United States. Many other states arc try
ing this plan, among them being New Jersey, Penn
sylvania and, recently, West Virginia From all
Of them come words of praise for Inc system,
If it be true as Judge Hazmd decide, hal Ire
municipal police in Florida arc without le.,.i au-
thirty in the many cases which daily confront
them, something will have 10 be done Tor ibc public
security and the state police idea should certainly
be given fair consideration.