Putnam patriot., 1921-02-18
Complaint Against Officer Chandler Read In Open Council Meeting
 Tuesday Night
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COMMITTEE REQUESTS ST1yT
 LICENSE FEE FOR PEDDLERS
City Budget Calls Fsv Expenditures of $S3sSo ereAss l
 $74so Over Last Year.-Tax Recommended. IF Aalk.

Trouble in the police department, of which there has been rumor for some time, came to light and was spread upon the record of the common council, Tuesday night, when the city's executive body held an adjourn ed meeting to make up the budget for the year 1921.
 The facts concerning the frlction in the department were made public when charges were preferred by Cap tain of Police John Bulger against Patrolman Ernest L. Chandler, in which the captain alleges inefiiciency and insubordination.
 The charges also bring to light the fact that charges have been preferred previously to the police committee and Officer Chandler called before the committee and reprimanded by that body.
 The captain specifically alleges sey- eral acts of the patrolman to support the charges of inefficiency and insub- ordination. The charges charges preferred as read to the council were as follows
 Charges Az Preferred
 To the Members of the Police Com
 mittee, Common Council. City of
 Putnam:
 Gentlemen:
 In accordance with your request for report dealing with the case of Patrolman Ernest L. Chandler, sub- init the following as. in my opinion, having a bearing on the matters under consideration:
 Since my original appointment az captain of police of the city of Put nam, ! have experienced more or less difficulty with Patrolman Chandler, chiefly on account of his incfhciency and insubordination.
 In various ways he has shown and let it be known that he had no respect for the office which l hold and has stated that he recognized no superior. It is this spirit and attitude on his part that has made it SO difficult to have him discharge the duties of his office in such a manner as the best interests of the department demanded. Among the things that might be enumerated as showing his disregard of the authority of the department, IS his having made a practice of not go- ing on his tour of duty promptly, he remaining at the police station fre- quently half hour after he should have been on duty. The time-clock sheets show that he has not punched his clocks regularly. These clock sheets are available for inspection by members of your committee. His s a. m. report of February 2 on file at the police office, says: 70 K. on beat during night" The clock sheets for the preceding night shows no punch for a. m.
 On the night of January 23-24 some tools were stolen from the yard of Whipple & Gilpatric, on whose office building the time clock which Patrolman Chandler is supposed to punch regularly is affixed. The cloc sheet of that night shows two nnnc ! e naissjug-9 p. m. and 3 a. u. Of cer Chandler made no report the ne' morning of having seen anyone abou the Whipple < Gilpatric property of tools having been stolen from thert He has neglected to make as ful and complete reports each morning a. would seem desirable, yet keeps a private record into which is written numerous things that rightfully should go onto the blotter at police headquarters.
 Various petty acts on his part have 1 in my opinion, the effect of under mining the morale of the department As among the more serious onensei that are to be enumerated against him is his having been absent from duty without leave on the night oi October i6. For this he was called before the members of your commit tee. and at that time he was given g reprimand and directed to thereafter teke up matters concerning the de partment with the captain of police before going to any higher authority
 This experience of being haled be, fore your committee has not serve1 to improve his conduct, however, an1 the same causes for complaint against him and the manner in which he dis charges his duties continue to exist His lack of diplomacy in dealing witt the public while he was doing nigh duty in the business section made necessary his transfer to another beat [ feel that his inefficiency and in subordination make him an unfit maI to be continued as member of thu police department. especially in viev of the fact that after having been giv en opportunities to do better work, h' has failed to improve the quality O service he is rendering the city.
 JOHN H. BULGER.
 Captain of Police