, 1925-03-04
DAVID POWERS GIVES
ENFORCEMENT PLANS
Park County Heard
Cody. wyo.,

E|
During the past session of the
Legislature I received several hun
dred kilograms and letters in regard
to the appropriation for the law en-
forcement department. l have re-
Trained from replying to any of the
for two ~reasons, first, because the
number was too large to permit a
personal reply, second, law enforce
ment department was in process of
reorganization and it seemed advi-
sable to wait until the governor and
legislature had taken action before
replying.
1 now, therefore, ask the many
who have written and wired me to
this in lieu of a personal letter.
Early in the deliberations of the
Ways and Means committee the gov
ernor appeared before the committe
and, informed us that she was OPP
posed to the method of the Law En-
forcement department as the bust
ness had been conducted during '23
and 1924. This method consisted of
what is known as under cover work
and cost the State many thousands
of dollars with very satisfactory
results.
The records of the state auditors
office show that the greater part of
the expenses of the law enforcement
officers for 1928 and 1924 consist
ed in bills for drunken carousals,
gambling and patronage of places
of questionable character. The gov
'ernor also stated that it has been
impossible to hire men of good char
acter and d~ependability to do under
cover work and insisted on doing
AVA with this work.
Instead of making the yaw enforce
ment department simply a prohibit
ton squad the governor desired that
steps be taken to r~e-organize and
have the department do the WORK
of other departments. 1t has been
re~-organized and it's activities radi-
cally changed.
The principal changes are as fol-
lows:
First, the appointment of officers
and the tenure OF their office is to
be under the control of the govern
or.
Second, their chief duties will be
to cooperate with and assist county
officers in law enforcement.
Third, the prohibition law will
receive no more nor less attention
from these officers than h game
laws or any other law which gov
erns human conduct in the state.
Fourth, bills for purchasing
noonshine, gambling Or any form
of under cover work will not be
paid from the public treasury as has
been the practice heretofore.
In making the request for $751;
10000 the governor had in mind
the taking over the work now done
by the department of state in col
lecting the delinquent automobile
AK. The Ways and Means commit
tee after full investigation decided
to leave the automobile inspectors
in the state department as the work
had been very efficiently and hon
estly performed and the law enforce
ment appropriation was accordingly
placed at $4,000, which is ample
for all requirements, with the auto
mobile work left in control of the
state department. In this decision
the Ways and Means committee was
sustained by a very large majority
in both the senate and the house.
Mrs. Powers and myself expect
to spend a few weeks on the coast
and return to Powell sometime about
nF,,, Gr.t - xrI;a1 t;-,n will hn
glad to go into the reasons for re-
organizing the law enforcement de
partment more fully if the people
desire it.
With kind regards and best wish
es to all the people of Park county,
/ am
Yours very truly,
David E. Powers.