Evening star., 1925-06-19
MERGER PROPOSAL,
ST|RSPARK POLICE
Representative BIanton's
Plan May Cost Men Their
Jobs, Col. Sheriff. Says.

Possibility of consolidation Of the
park police and other individual police
iorces In the District of Columbia with
the metropolitan police is being
stuoled by Representative Thomas L.
Bianton of Texas, he said today. Mr.
blanton declared. however. that he
nao not made up his mind as 10
Whether such a consolidation woui-i
De feasible or practical. but that..hs
was going into the entire matter
Several days ago. he said he was
present at the White House Ellipse al
one or the regular inspections Of the
United States park police force aud
addressed them on the question. The
majority indicated at that time thev
they would welcome the consolidation
with the metropolitan police. Mr.. Blan-
ton said he told them at that time
that the matter probably would y,
considered in committee at the com
ing session of Congress and that n.
would like to have some of them pres
ent their views then. He denied the
report that he had told them TO ~.
ganize a committee to prepare their.
case and if they did not do SO that
he would subpoena them individually
TO testify before the committee.
Discipline Held Menaced.
According to those present az the
inspection of the park police. Cant
McMorriS asked Mr.. Blanton if ha
cared TO say anything to the men am
the legislator told them Of the priv
leges enjoyed by the metropolitan 20
lice and asked how many of them
would like TO become a part Of the
metropolitan police. Not few Of them
held up their hands. and Mr.. Rlanton.
r1rnYnfGad 80
about the necessary legislation
What is feared most according 70
Lieut.. Col. Clarence o. Sheriff. in
charge of public buildings and public
parks, is that the park police. nov.
under a rigid discipline, will RELY on
the efforts of the Texas Representative
and neglect to comply with the rigid
discipline of the park police. The net
result VIII be, ii was pointed out. that
many or them will never get on the
metropolitan police force even IL
there is tranfer of authority. for
they will lose their jobs.
Park Rules Rigid.
The park police who violate the reg
ulauons of their manual do not have ;.
regular police trial board, as is the
case with the Metropolitan police bur
are given hearing before their slime
riors. and they are not allowed N m
set the evidence, it was pointed out.
as is done in the case OF the Metro
polltan police. Many Of them want 10
get under disciplinary feature. Under
the system in vogue in the park sI-s-
tenn one of the finest police forces in
the country has been built up. bu,
they are kept on their toes all the time
In the performance of their duty. for
they are made to realize what II
n
a small point.
One of the privileges held out to the
men the other day was that they would
get one day off in seven instead of one
DAY on In fourteen, as al present Bu,
the latter is due 10 the fact that there
are not enough men on the park police
force TO give one day off in seven
Neither do the park police have the
disability pay feature, and this was
held out to them.
Once Near Mutiny.
Several years ago the park police
got up a round robin, which amounted
substantially TO a mutiny, with the
result that many of them lost their
positions and it was pointed out bv
omclals. that if they rely too much
on their prospects of getting on the
metropolitan force the same thing is
likely TO happen.
AT any rate. ii was said. strenuous
enorts VIII De made Ip prevent the
transfer of this force 10 the Distric,
government. Col. Sheriff. pointed our
that 1t is the practice throughout the
country for cities to have a separate
and distinct police force for their
parks. force of men specially trained
for this duty. To put the park police
under one head and leave the author.
ity for maintaining the parks stiu
under the Federal officers would re
suit in dual control that would be
disastrous.