New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-08-01


At the last meeting of the common
council the recommendations of tn
police board were adopted with tn
exception of the one which placed tn
maximum age of those eligible to ap
pointment at 40 years. The common
council saw fit to change the age rec
commended by the police board, to 8
years. The earnest desire of thos
vitality interested in police affairs ma.
cause the matter to be brought VI
again before the council, to the enc
that such body may be persuaded tt
reconsider its former action and per
NIT appointment as regular police
men those who are above 35 years ole
but who have not yet reached the age
of 40.
The opinion of the common council
as to the proper age for appointment
to the regular department is not al
valuable as the opinion of the mem.
bers of the board who are constantly
IN touch with polio affairs. The board
wanted and still wants the eligibility
age to be below 40 years and not
limited to So. Granted, if you will
that it is quite possible man below
35 years may be able, physically, I'd
perform the duties of policeman
fully as well as one of SO years or
more, it will not be granted that the
very young men are superior police
men in every way, for into the work
of the offices comes a need of tact,
wisdom and calmness often not pos
sessed by the younger men.
There is another phase of the mat
ter. Although many men may desire
and seek appointment to the force, it
is not an easy matter to get the best
men. AS few limitations as possible
should be placed upon those who Sc
lect men for the force. Those authori-
ties are not going to appoint a man
to the force if he is lacking in physi-
cal strength or ability. The placing of
the eligibility age at forty years will
not endanger the physical power of
our force and it is quite likely to add
to its mental efficiency. 1t must be re-
membered that never before, proba-
bly,, in New Britain's history, have the
character of the laws made so i'm
portant the mental equipment Of a
policeman. Never before has wisdom
and discretion been so badly needed.
The prohibition laws make it neces-
sary that the men who help enforce
them possess temperament fitted to
cope with the complex problems
which arise under it. There is no in
tention to fail to recognize the value
of young man on the force. But
there is the intention here to insist
that ability to think and to act calmly
is a ever-increasing qualification for
policeman, and this qualification is
often possessed by the older men of
the force.
And there is a final phase to the
matter. No man over 33 years old,
appointed a supernumerary police
man, could ever hope to become /
regular officer. His period of proba-
ton. as it were, is two years. At the /
end of this time he would be past the |
age of 35 years--too "old" to be ap-
pointed regular officer if the present |
rule obtains. Ridiculous. A man S5 |
years and one day old too ancient"
to be made a regular policeman, /
despite the fact that he had two
years training as supernumerary!
On this point one case may be cited.
A supernumerary who has done un-
usually excellent work will be just
past IS years of age when his two +
year period as supernumerary expires.
He is of great value to the force.
Under the present rule he would not
be eligible to appointment as a regular
policeman. OF course it would be I'M
fair to some of those who have given
two years of their life to preparing to
become members of the force. to al
low this rule to stand. Their two years
would be wasted. They might be just
past 35; they could remain super
but that is all. This I'M
might be remedied, it may be
said. by altering the ordinane so that
the present supernumeraries would
not be affected by It. But that would
be merely a makeshift. The sound
argument against lowering the maxi
mum age limit to 35 years, suggested
above, would remain. New Britain
wants mature brains on its force as
well as physical strength and ability.
The police board, familiar with police
lnairs to the ia detail. has shown