Evening star., 1927-12-18
POLICE FORCE LACKS
ADEQUATE TRAINING FACILITIES

with the police regulations. for II is
humanity impossible to acquire such
knowledge in the short interval he.
tween changing his civilian clothes
for the uniform and badge Of an ~.
ficer. Unframed in court procedure
or the value of evidence ne is more
likely to prove a h1ndrance than an
aid to the course of justice
The police school in washington IN.
day was established by MAJ Pullman
But it has had rough sIeddine. Ax
indicated, its regular maintenance dc.
pends upon the varying demands nuf
upon the Police Department And
while those who attend it are sinh
mitted to examination at the end M
the course, it makes no particular dir
ference whether n passing grade is
attained Most of the policemen do
pass the examinations. But fsjInra
to pass does not mean that the ofHrnr
ceases to he a member of the force
although his grade may have future
bearing upon his promotion. Tho
fundamental theory of training police.
men in Washington is based upon
making them policemen first and
training them afterward.
London is always held up as the
city with the finest police force in the
world The reputation of the London
Bobbie is known wherever the sun
shines. He is held up as the model for
dignity OF bearing, quiet efficiency.
discipline and relentless pursuit Of
criminals. But before he Is permitted
to patrol his heat alone, he is trained
for year He spends six months in
a police school before he receives his
badge of authority. He is taught the
principles which govern the exercise
of police power by a State. He is
given a background in the history ot
government and the derivation Of 10
lice power and police function hv
whom and in what manner it is exer-
Cised. He is told how intimately this
police power affects the private life OF
every citizen. He is told how he must
exercise it, hut safeguard. at the same
time, the rights of individuals. He
is instructed in court procedure tho
meaning of evidence and the relative
value of evidence. He is instructed
in criminal methods and receives ath.
letiC training which makes him ia
miliar with the proper way to use his
physical equipment. And then, after
this six months spent in police school,
| he is allowed to go on the street in
company with an experienced officer
who stays with him for six months.
| This is not too much training. No
policeman was ever hurt by too much
| training. And some of that respect
for law which is portrayed as char
acteristic of the Britisher may owe its
origin to the fact that the citizen
knows that the representatives Of the
law will command his respect.
*
In Washington some of our higher
police officials have agitated, without
effect, the need of a police school, es-
tablished by law and maintained by
regulaP appropriations. The outlay
would be small. The equipment for
the most part exists. 1t would be
school with a six months course and
with classes every day. Before a pa
trolman received his night stick and
his gun. he would be required to COM
plete the course with a passing grade.
One difficulty today is that policemen
are admitted to the force at the rate
OF from one to six or more every
month. 1t would not be feasible to
have students entering the school in
such driblets. Instead, recruits would
enter at intervals of six months or
when there were enough of them TO
form a rea sOnably large class. 1t is
probable that the police department
tOudN Couiu uo Win IcWcI men II tIltN
were better trained. 1t is certain that
many policemen on the streets today
regard the badge they wear on their
chests; the sticks they dangle from
their wrists and the guns they strap
on their hips as all they need to en-
force the law. But these are mere
symbols, or should be. 1t is an inter-
esting sideIight on the present state
of civilization that badge, q stick
and a gun remain as symbols of the
law. 1t might be better if at least
two of the symbols were discarded
and intelligent training in the fun
damentals of police work substituted
in their place.