The Washington times., 1921-04-14
Chief REDUCES
z DETECTIVES
Baur and Sweeney Put Back in
Uniform Without Consulting
Inspector Grant.
ACTION SURPRISES OFFICERS
Changes Seen As indication of
DisSension in Ranks of
Department. -.

A bombshell was dropped into
the Police Department this morning
when Major Harry L. Gessford,
Superintendent Of Police, without
consulting Inspector Clifford l..
Grant, Chief of Detectives, reduced
to the rank of uniformed police
men Detective Sergeants Frank
Baur and Thomas Sweeney.
COMES AS SURPRISE.
The reduction OF the two we'll
known detectives came on the heels Of
ago that some Of the members of the
detective bureau were not loyal to his
administration.
Gessford this morning refused to
divulge the reason for the reduction
into harness" of Baur and Sweeney.
but he intimated that charges might
be preferred against them, and that
they may be given a hearing before
the Police Trial Board.
The fact that Gessford reduced the
two detectives without consulting
Grant, after Gessford only q Few days
ago declared when Detective Sergeant
Fred A. Cornwell had been transfer
red from office to street duty that
Grant is head of the detective de-
partment. and moves his men about
himself" was the surprising feature
OF the transferring Of the two plain
CLOTHES men.
GIVES FORMAL REASON.
Asked the reason for the reduction
OF the central office men. Gessford
stated:
For the good of the service"
'ls it customary to make changes
| m no lata i've xxrffh
sulting the head of that depart
ment?" he was asked.
1T is" replied Gessford. 81 am
running this department for the
good of the service.
District Commissioner James r.
oyster when asked why the men had
been transferred to go back I'm
harness" and pound the pavements.
referred his questioner to Inspector
Grant.
See Grant and he will tell you
about it," the Commissioner said.
When Giant was seen, he said he
had no knowledge of the transferring
and reduction of the men until this
morning when the order came from
| Major Gcssford.
GRANT NOT CONSULTED.
The changes" said Grant. were
knew nothing of them until re-
| ceived the orders this morning"
He refused TO discuss the matter
further.
With the reduction of Sweeney and
| Bauer, IL is feared by others in the
| department that a general shake-up
| Is due That wholesale changes
! would be made were denied by Major
| Gessford and Commissioners oyster,
A hat ~ IA N 70 !
| were contemplated at this time.
| Intimations also were made that
| certain members of the department
have been protecting bootleggers and
| handbook operators. There are two
| fact ions in the department.. one stick
| ing to the Gessford administration
and the other anxious to see Gessford
succeeded by Inspector Grant
Hints of these conditions have been
made 10 Commissioner Oyster. Just
what sort of probe will be ordered
could not be learned.
MEN STICK TO GRANT.
The men in the detective department.
are sticking to Grant to the last man.
They claim he has been fair to them
and that he has been an exceptional
head of the detective bureau.
| The trouble between Gessford and
Grant came TO a head last week when
the major went to the assembly room
at detective headquarters and charged
| that some of the men were not loyal
| to his administration. The detectives
claim the major was wrong. that the
detectives were loyal and co-operated
| in every way with members Of the
uniform rank.
| The detectives claim that II has not
| been their duty to ferret out the boot
leggers and handbook operators. They
say this is the duty of the uniform
men who work posts on which the
| bootleggers and handbook men oper-
ate. They also point to the fact that
ir Is the duty of the outlying precinct
| to seize the whiskey runners coming
/ into the District.
Members of the Detective Bureau"
said an official this morning, have
| enough to do in investigating the
many robberies that occur on the uni
i form mems posts. 1t Is not infre-
] cnent for detectives to work on the
| Job twenty hours out OF twenty-four."
with the removal from Police
i Headquarters OF the two plain
clothesmen, many of the men are
i on the anxious bench.
whats to happen next" they are
asking.
This dors not apply to he plain
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