Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-02-27

PETERSBURG. Va, Feb. 90
When Louis Brownlow came to Pet
ersburg as city manager in 1920, he
had behind him the experience of the
conduct of a police department and
fire department for six years IN
the city of Washington. He had
gone through the stirring times of
a great war in the great Capital City
of America, he had broken a police
mans strike and put down race
riot. He says that the thing that
gave him the most uneasiness was
the problem of the police and fire
departments, because he did not
known how this big town exper-
ience would fit into small city re-
quirements, and he believed then as
| he believes now that ultimately the
measure of the success or failure OF
a municipal administration is the
success or failure of the police and
fire services.
81 believe now" said Mr.. Brown
low, that there is no essential diff
ference between the large city and
the small. The test of the fire de-
partment is in its readiness, and the
test of the police department is IN
its fearlessness. The firemen must
not only be ready to go when the
alarm sounds. but they must have
their apparatus ready and they must
have mapped out in advance how to
fight fire in every quarter OF the
city.
THE police must be fearless, not
only without fear of gunmen ana
desperate criminals, but fearless Of
the power of those highly placed by
reason of wealth, or political power
or social position, who would inter-
fere with the orderly and equal en-
forcement of the law.
"When came here I found some of
the bravest men in the world in our
fire department. They were fire
fighters, too. But they had no
strategy, Nothing was done until
the fire broke out. Now every
house in the town is periodically in
spected, and the exact plan of fight
ing a fire in every important build
! ing in Petersburg has been worked
out. BY that means, and good luck,
| be brought the per capita fire loss
! in Petersburg down from a, very
high rate, one of the ten highest in
| American cities, to one OF the very
| lowest.
/ II was LOL StSJ 10 Iiilu d llAdH "
| guide the police. 1t took a good
| while, but finally | found a man who
| had made a remarkable record in
the World War. gave him the title
| that he had won in the Army and
| placed him over both the police and
| fire departments. He Elas a fire chief
| under him, but commands the police
/ directly. His name is Major Otey
/ a u Ius- yfd ~ Il a
| made him Marshal Otey Walker all
| over the United States.
The Cop in a Derby Hat
"The police are, for the most part
the same men who wera here when
1 came. They were then IeaderleSs
and everybody complained that they
! were inefficient. One OF them greet
| ed me on my first day dressed in ar
| old blue uniform, almost covered
with brass buttons, the effect be
| ing relieved by a black derby hal
and tan shoes. Now, believe mS
cops are as smart as the best O
them. There is no dlssension snc
no quarrelling. The men do theil
duty without fear and without favor
and they know that there is no poll.
tical influence on earth that car
come between them and their com
manders.
THE result is that they are loya
to the department. A policeman
stepped aside from the path of vir
tue and engaged in a bootlegginI
deal. Another member OF the force
a sergeant who had recommended
the mans appointment, found it out
He heard the news about O'Clock
one night. At 10 that night the po
liceman had been caught red-hande(
in his offense and was behind th'
bars. BY 10 o'clock the next morn
ing he had been tried and dismissed
from the force and tried and con
yicted of bootlegging and had be
gun to serve a six months sentenc
in Jail. The police force is self
starting and self-cleaning.
Fl do not mean to say that Grim,
Is abolished or that all laws are al
ways enforced in Petersburg. d.
say, however, that the police fore
is on the job all the time"
The Petersburg police force ha
, been completely motorized, tn
equipment being standard Ford car.
This means that every street In tn
city is patrolled at least ten time
in "a hours, whereas the old foe
IL 49, ksEase Dc aat lEasaae I