The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-08
SERVICE BOARDS
 FIRST REPORT IN
Makes Recommendations For Improving Public Safety
 Departments

Confinement of police activities within the corporate limits of Btr- mingham except in special cases; the statement of the need of moro offi- cers for the proper protection of the city; the introduction of the merit and demerit system into the depart ment looking to greater efficiency; the closing of temporary appointments on the force after January IS; vacan- cies to be filled from the eligibility lists, and the recommendation that a competent instructor in police work be secured for the personnel, were some of the items contained in the first annual report of the civil serv- ice commission adopted at a special meeting of the commission Friday which will bep resented to the board of city commissioners Saturday.
 The report also contained com plete resume of the work done by it since it's organization. Special em- phasis was laid by the commission on the fact that police protection given in what is known as the three mile zone, adjacent to the corporate line, being a serious hindrance to the
 
 considerably reduces the effective ness of the department within the city proper.
 House Cleaning.
 One of the first functions of the commission was to do a house clean ing on the large number of special policemen. According to the report, it was found that there were ap- proximately 1000 commissions as specials being held, some of them 10 years old. The withdrawal of all these and judicial consideration of applications since that time has kept the number at a minimum.
 A closer regula ton of the police in regard to the arrest and bonding g of persons charged with misde- meanors and the regulation of ar rests under the suspicious character ordinance was made part of the report, together with recommendA- ton in systematizing the dockets and other papers connected with the work Of the city warden.
 A resolution was introduced and adopted barring all former members of the police or fire department, who had been discharged for cause, from the eligibility list for appointment in either department without the writ ten recommendation of the chief of the department concerned.
 That EnsIey Matter.
 Officers of the Ensley precinct who were requested to investigate the raid on a still near Docena last week in which Ensley officers were said to have participated, made a report to the commission on the af- fair. Three members of the depart ment, the report stated, assisted in the raid which was made just before which will be presented to the board of the T. c. I. were in the party making the raid, which was conduct ed on a hurry call received by the Ensley headquarters. In the shoot ing which followed, Harrington, one of the three men alleged to have been operating the still, received a ball in the feshy part of a, leg.
 Investigating officers in making their report stated that at the time Harrington was shot he was not in sight of the city officers, but so many were shooting it was impossi- ble for them to fix the responsibility for the wounding of the man. Action by the commission on this matter was deferred until later date.
 The medical member of the com mission was also asked to compile 2 table of comparative weights and measurements for candidates maxim 2 application for appointment in both the police and fire departments.
 Members of the civil service com mission of Birmingham are John W. Altman, chairman; R. C. Gladden., J. A. Lacey, pr. J. c. Vance and J. E. Bryan.