New-York tribune., 1921-03-29
Reoffer Bills
To Clinch Jobs
For Police Pets
New Senators Reintroduce
Measures of Last Year
to Make Detective Rank
in Local Force Permanent
Aids Enright Favorites
Hylan's Brother-in-Law One
Who Would Be Affected:
Merits of Men Ignored
From a staff Correspondent

ALBANY, March 2S--The attempt to
put the Hylan Enright brand of fa-
voritism indelibly into the Police De-
partment of New York, regardless of
the political fate of Mayor John r
Hylan ard Police Commissioner Rich
ard E. Enright was renewed tonight in
the Senate.
Senator Maxwell S. Harris, of Brook
lyn, and Senator C. Ernest Smith. of
Richmond, both first year men. intro
duced the bills, which were abandoned
even by their sponsors last year when
their true nature became apparent
The bills are those which seek to make
the rank of detective in the Police De-
partmcnt permanent one, to be at
tanned, in the case Of Senator Smiths
bill, by one years experience as a de-
tective, and, under the provisions of
Senator Harris's bill, by three years
experience.
The bills are designed to give per
mancncy to the machine built up by
commissioner Enright in his detective
bureau. If the Smith bill became law
all the appointees of the Police Com
missioner to the detective bureau who
had been there year would be secure
IN the increased salary attached to
detective service, regardless of the
character OF their work. If the Harris
bill was enacted, all men who had
served three years in the detective bu
reau would attain this enviable posi-
ton.
Regardless Of their greenness as po-
licemen, regardless OF their abilities
as detectives, they would draw the
salary of detectives for the period of
their police service, simply because
Commissioner Enright raised them to
that grade and pushed through the
protective legislation
The temporary quality of assignment
to the Detective Bureau is about the
sole remnant at present of the merit
system established by Police Commits
sioner Woods, who used this long
standing rule of the department that
detective held his position at the
pleasure of the Commissioner TO in
sure efficiency.
There is more than suspicion
among the rank and file of the. force
that under the present regime the rule
has been used to insure soft jobs for
the Commissioners friends, and this
suspicion has been confirmed in many
instances by the legislation now being
sought. If either of the bills was
passed a man who had been police
man only three years could be pushed
far ahead of the veterans of the de-
partmcnt regardless of merit. If tho
Smith bill was passed q frst-year po-
liceman might rank lieutenants.
Last year even the Police Licuten-
ants Association, of which Commits
sioner Enright long was the head, op-
posed the legislation. This year the
lieutenants have been won over, but
the Patrolmen's Benevolent Associa-
tion, the Sergeants' Association and the
Uniformed F:-emen's Association are
opposing 1t.
Senator Charles c. Lockwood brought
up the legislation last year, but
dropped it like hot cake when he dis
covered it's significance. Until tonight
no member of the Legislature appeared
to be ready to assume responsibility
for rcintroducing the bills. If either of
them is passed one of the benehciaries
will be Mayor Hylan's brother-in-la
Irving O'Hara. He now is detective
sergeant, the position which the bills
would make permanent, and is said to
be slated for the post Of superintendent
of the detective division, which the
bills would substitute for the present
Detective Bureau