Evening star., 1928-09-07
ID. C. HEADS ORDER
REORGANIZATION OF
POLICE TRIAL BOARD
New Body viii Have Three
Officers - Prosecutor
Assigned.
REILLY AND SHEETZ
i RELIEVED OF PLACES
Inspector Stoll and Capts. Burlin-
game and Stott Are
Appointed.

! Radical feOrganlZatlOn OF tne Ponce
Trial Board was ordered today by the
District Commissioners in an effort to
improve the efficiency and discipline in
the Police Department.
The new board will begin to function
tomorrow under new procedure and
with a new personnel. 1t will be COM
posed of three police officials and an
assistant corporation counsel will serve
rs a prosecutor, but not be a member
of the board The present board Is
made I'D of two police officials and an
assistant corporation counsel, who
serves as chairman
Two Captains Relieved.
In reorganizing the board, the Com
nissioners relieved Capts. Martin Relily
and Ira Sheetz and put in their places
Capts. Guy E Burlingame and w. q.
stott. Inspector Louis j. Ston was
DESIGNATED as the third police repre-
sentative on the board. The board Will
elect it's own chairman.
Walter E. Fowler, now chairman OF
the hoard was designated as prosecutor.
The alternates on the new board are
capts. T. R. Bean and F. M. Corn
we'll
Action of the Commissioners was
4axen on a new set of recommenoaVloHS
Nv Mai Edwin B. HesSe, superintendent
ri nolice. submitted to them at
their regular semi-weekly meeInls
this morning, which was devoteo aliiluoe l,,ss
entirely to a discussion OF the pIopleilio
of the police force. THESE recommends.
go urere substantially the same as
thnro .io1l9 S,,hn,itted TO the Commissioners
hv Mai Hesse last December and WHICH
Rave remained on file ever since.
Duties Outlined.
Tho duties of the assistant corpora
tion counsel detailed to the poaro, utIueA
the new plan of organization as ou.r
lined by the Commissioners WIZ Nc 90
follows: ,ors of the
trial board in the matter OF lesai pio-
''e To represent the Police Depart
,nent in the prosecution OF cases DE-
fore the board. ,a
To advise in the preparation ana
examination of charges filed prior 70
the submission of charges to the oosEo
for the purpose of aScertalnllS "ileelioA
or not they are legal in form ana co!ll-
ply with such sections OF Ihe pollCe p
manual which it is alleged nave oeeh
violated. ,oro oo,-
While the Commissioners were con
sidering Mai. Hesse's new plan OF or
ranization for the trial board. the ponce
xeInerintendent called into conference
every commanding and administrative
soficer in the department. Inns coi n,-
I terence, according to MAI. Hesse, Goon 1s,
the form of round table discussion
of the problems Of the department, ous pus
Al is understood that the oncerS WeIs
given a lecture on need for increased
eficiency and stricter discipline.
Hold Conference.
Before the Commissioners ordereo tlis
drastic changes in the trial poaro,
which Mai HesSe has helo aIeey
tha department, they called the police
superintendent into the meeting as
we'll as Corporation Counsel Brlde,
Assistant Corporation Counsel FoWier
and William H. Wahly former chair
man of the board.
The legal representatives, it was SAID,
were sounded out" as TO tnelr views
on the proposed changes. Mr.. Bride, IL
was announced, told the Commissioners
IIldL IlC Mco Al IAAOAON5NA 20
the new plan. ,
THE Commissioners however, deferred
action on another set OF Maj. Hesse
recommendations prescribing mandatory
dismissal from the force OF ofncers con-
victed on fixed charges such as drink
ing, willful disobedience and MAKING
untruthful statements. Announcement
was made that they would allow the
new trial board to function for
fiy,,o hafnra dQriHi0U Whefnel
the adoption of the drastic penalty plan
is needed as another remedial step.
Mai. Hesse Explains.
The recommendations Of Maj. Hesse
for reorganization of the trial board was
accompanied by the following explana-
tory report:
AT the present time the trial board
of the Metropolitan Police Department
consists of an assistant to the corpora
ton counsel as chairman, and two otil-
GERS Of the police force.
Many members of the department
against whom charges have been pre-
ferred. obtain counsel TO represent them
upon their appearance before the boarc
and in these instances the prosecuting
witnesses are possibly placed at a dis
advantage because of the lack of lega
advice in the conduct of the cases which
they have instituted.
While the assistant corporation coun'
sci. acting as chairman of the board is
OF course authorized to pass upon lega
questions and those which may ariSt
relative thereto, he cannot. by reason o.
the more or less judicial position il
which he acts, give advice to the prose
cutting witnesses, or to other WitneSSe
whom the prosecution may call relativ,
to the testimony which it is desired II
submit
Il believe that an improvement il
the trial board procedure would be eff
fective if the board were to consist o
three officers OF the department, with
an assistant corporation counsel de
tailed TO advise the members of n
Slal board in matters Of legal proceed
ure: represent the Police Department
in the prosecution of cases before III
board and to advise in the preparatio
and examination of charges filed prio
to the submission of same to the boar
for the purpose OF aScertaining whetne
or not they are legal in form and com
ply with such sections of the manua
which it is alleged have been violated
The reorganization plan was approve
by the Commissioners without della.
Commissioner Dougherty, who has ST
pervision over the Police Department
ana Engineer Commissioner William
Ia0ue convened the board meeting {
10 o'clock, and shortly before noon al
nouncement was made that Maj. HesSe
Continued on Page ., Column 3D.