New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-21
hearted man, to which Commissioner
shnrlEht replied he was Every kind
Auto Called sKindneSss

hearted man, to which Commissions,
: Enrl1ht replied he was livery kind
Auto Called "Kindnesss
He presented you with an auton,o
bile. didn't he 7" asked Mr.. Brown.
i Not exactly" replied the Commits.
Not exactly !" went On the question.
ING:
"No.' came the answer.
How did it vary from that? ?" contin.
ued Mr.. Brown,
II have the use of it while am In
ofice," explained the Commissioner.
He has assigned one to you p
helped Mr. Brown.
"Yes, sir" replied Mr.. Enright.
& And he has not given it TO you ~
questioned the counsel.
mot yet" replied the Commissioned
He wonld have given it to me il
wanted it. / told him i would discuss
that with him after i got through with
the Office, and that is some time away"
e .You meant you would talk it over ~
asked the examiner.
y AS that is some time away, Senator,
we do not need to talk about it now.
As my leaving the office is some time
away, we won't discuss it much now"
concluded the Commissioner.
2hI. tHl{kHt 0S1SuSe To JHe OuJtC-
tons raised by the counsel to the ex-
treme leniency in imposing fines and
penalties upon members of the force
who had been found guilty of serious
violations was that many of the cases
cited were ''border-line cases; that
guilt had not been absolutely estah-
lished, even though the. records so
stated, and that the policy of the de-
partment had been not 70 dismiss a
policeman where there was any chance
of the decision being reversed by the
courts.
Alleged Errors in Dismissal
He pointed to the indiscriminate
policy of previous administrations in
dismissing men right and left, which
he said resulted in the loss of much
money to the city in court litigation, in
addition to the loss to the service of
that many patrolmen had to be rein
stated and reimbursed with back pay.
The evidence showed that the pen
alties imposed were not always equi-
table, one man being heavily fined for IL
comparatively trivial violation, while
smother would be Jet off with q slight
: ffne for a serious off ense. Enright
pleaded that the department. is not ex-
pected by the courts to follow strict
court procedure in that it was merely
disciplinary matter and not court
action.
The Commissioner said that this
method had obtained during his term
of office and that he had 5000 cases of
breach of discipline within the depart
ment this year, adding that there were
1880 men now on the force.
Coming down to specific cases, Mr..
Brown produced. The records of men
who were found guilty ofsmaking false
entries, of demanding sums Of money
from citizens under threat of arrest
ling them if theysdidn't, pay up, of tax
ing. money from others by force, Of
shields" and refusing to pay, for them.
Police Practices zBared
In connection with the latter, Com
missioner Enright said it was very
common practice, that he had thousands
anything criminal in it. Mr.. Brown
tried to show in this respect that there
was apparently law Tor policemen
and another for citizens.
When the counsel drew attention to
the fact that the men had been found
guilty, according to the record, of Of
lenses like extortion, assault, theft
and other charges, and had only been
fined, the Commissioner insisted that
the written comment guilty" on the
mans record did not necessarily mean
that he was guilty as charged. He may
have been found guilty merely on the
surrounding circumstat ces."
Mr.. Brown then said "This is a.
rev one on me. I haYe never heard
of such charge before
"Do you mean to tell me-" asked the
counsel, that policeman who is
brought up before you for trial, when