The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-06-23
Chief Leonard Announces Pro-
gram for Conduct of Dept.
Personnel of Clean, Honest,
Hard Fighting Policemen.
HILL IS NAMED CAPTAIN
Successor to New Chief on
Force Nine Years.
Ten Important Rules Adopted
by Chief Leonard.

Every effort will be made to bring
about in the Topeka police depart
ment a personnel of clean. honest,
straightforward, quick thinking, hard
fighting men, Morris Leonard. newly
appointed chief, asserted today in an
nouncing his program for the future
conduct of the department.
Chief Leonard also announced the
appointment of Detective Jesse Hill
as captain of police to succeed Leon
ard himself Hill has been with the
department for nine years and prob
ably knows more about the inS and
outs of Topeka's underworld than any
other man on the force. He is re-
garded as a man of large abilities,
good character and wide experience in
police work. He served as a detective
during the last three years of his serv-
ice with the force and made an en-
viable record,
Best Man Available.
"In appointing Mr.. Hill as captain"
said Chief Leonard. II feel that have
selected the best man available for
this particular position. He is thoroly
familiar with the department and the
men and knows more about the GRIM
inal element of the city than any man
I can think of. His detective work
has been highly satisfactory and I feel
that he will be a credit to this de-
partment"
1n16I Leonard Sd1Q JheIe Will PROD
ably be no extensive use of the axe in
the department at the present time
but that he made it plain that any
men on the force who believed it
would be the best policy for them to
resign should take this opportunity to
do so.
No Part in Politics.
Declaring that ne of the greatest
failingS of the department in the past
has been petty tealousies and internal
dissensions, he laid down the rule of
harmony and cooperation as implicit
requirements of every man. Politics
are made taboo under the new rulings
and the men forbidden to take any
part in political campaigns.
1T is not my sdesire to be radical
and hard AIDED about these things"
the chief stated, but there has got
to be a change made. I'm going to
take the knock out of this depart
ment, for that has been one of the
main troubles with it in the past.
Under the rules I have laid down I
believe this department can be made
the equal of any in the country and if
there are not enough men in Topeka
who are willing to work under these
rules 1 will go elsewhere to get them.
I'VE cannot bring order out of chaos
in a day, and consequently / am go
ing to ask the good citizens of Topeka
strive to bring about the new con-
ditions. No doubt I will make some
mistakes. My men will make some
mistakes. But I am going to try to
profit by the mistakes which I have
observed and studied during my years
of experience in this force.
Must Be No Knockers.
"a house divided against itself can
not stand. Therefore one of my
strictest rules is in regard to harmony.
Information has come to me that sew
eral men have said some uncompli
mentary things about me in the past.
past is forgotten and it is to the future
that I am going to look. From now
on there must be no knocking on any
man in this department by any of his
fellows and If this ever happens 1 am
going to find out who is doing it and
call in his star.
Topeka needs a new jail very badly
and the department needs more and
better equipment and more money
going to ask for it just now. I'm first
going to do my level best to demon
strate that this is a real police de-
partment-one of which Topeka will
be proud-and thus merit such added
expenditures as may be necessary to
place us on the highest plane of ef-
ficiency."
Rules of New Chief.
The program of rules adopted by
Chief Leonard is as follows:
1. The prime requirement in this
department will be unquestioning and
implicit obedience to orders.
2. Harmony being required to make
the work of the department success
full, it will be necessary for every man
to cooperate with his fellow officers
(Contfuued on Page Te1l