The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-03-13

| POLICING PLANS
Eight Separate Departments
Protecting Capital May Be
Merged Into One.
BY CORNELIUS VANDERBILT. Jr.
Copyright. 1874. by Universal ssrvic",)
Washington il the only city in
the United States having eight
separate police departments, each
with a distinctive head. Other
cities are content to get along with
one efficient department. and now
the Government. suffering q nerv.
Gus attack over it's multi.police
forces. IL seriously considering \
plan to coordinate them under at
least one efficient head.
1t seems likely that should this
plan be accepted. the present major
and superintendent Of police OF the
District OF Columbia, Major Daniel
Sullivan. will become tho chief of
the unified. uniformed force.
1 shall enumerate the police de-
partments with which our National
Capital Is at present unprecedented.
We have the Metropolitan police,
controlling the District proper; the
Capitol police. protecting the Ma
tional Capitol and the House and
Senate Office buildings: the United
States police. looking after the ma
tional parks In the District: the In
Ing the Capital clear Of bootleGgers;
the Treasury police, who Euard the
President and look after counter
feiting: the military police, who
keep our soldiers off the Primrose
path; the navy police, who do like
wise with sailors and devil dogs"
and the Department Of Justice DO
lice. who do investigation for tn.
Government.
Praise for Sullivan.
Major Sullivan has been attached
to the Metropolitan police force for
thirty-three years. having gone
through every grade In the depart
ment, finally to become its efficient
head. He IL Of Irish extraction, N
his name testifies, with q very de-
cisive manner blended with kind
ness and judgment that speaks
fairness. More explicitly, Major
Sullivan is an idealist, as he him
self confesses. He believes that a
fair measure Of idealism Injected
Into a police department will do
more to raise its morale and eff.
cheney than all the harsh discipline
that ever existed.
Create an ideal atmospher. for
the policeman, and he will deliver
the goods" the major told me.
New York city has the most
courteous. finest looking. best trained
body OF policemen In the world, to-
day. ] consider Commissioner En-
right one OF the most efficient police
officials In the country, an official
intimately acquainted with every
phase OF police life and criminology.
There has been much unjust crit
cism directed against the New York
police department Ten thousand
men should not be subjected 20
criticism because OF the actions Of a
few officers and policemen. In such
a large body Of men the chaff can
hardly be kept out.
Our Western cities are bIest with
more excellent police departments
than in the east, due to more
idealistic surroundings and more
satisfactory living conditions.
We have in the Metropolitan
force, zoos police Of which twenty
are policewomen. The duties OF
the women are to watch and investi-
gate hotel Hobbies, motion picture
houses, dance halls, and depar sment
stores.
Due TO the efficiency Of our
there is very little
or MASKING on the streets
Of Washington today. In fact most
of our troubles in this connection
come from transient visitors.
THE prime object Of a police de-
partment Is to secure results ard
these results cannot be attained I'M
less each member Is working for the
success OF the entire body. We be-
in Washington. Last year thirry-six
were clearned up.
The respect of the citizen for the
police force depends upon the police
man individually. If he is discour.
teous, the entire department must
suffer. The advice I give to my men
Is that promotion depends entirely
upoh thCiisciNco, diu uOt upou iIlllu-
entail friends.
Bootlegger Il Task.
1T isn't every man that makes a |
policeman. Mollycoddles and back |
biters do not make successful police
men or police officials. A police.
man can become a power to his CON-
If he exercises his authority |
In a clean, honest way.
Every police chief should have |
this motto on his desk: Give every |
man a show" Many honest people |
run against the law at times and |
their respect for the police should |
not be undone through insulting |
treatment and discourtesy."
Major Sullivan added that there |
were more people engaged in boot
Logging and banditry today than |
ever. For this reason he advised |
that every police department In the
should be equipped as well. !
II not better than these new highly
expert criminals.
THE bootlegger and the automo-
bile bandit are past masters In their
criminal professions. They are not
the sinking thugs Of old, but are
well-mannered with a
love of attaining the better things
IN life without the necessity of work.
These criminals have taxed the