Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-06
Commissioners May Order
Reorganization Because of
Present Situation.
NUMBER OF OFFENDERS
FOUND TO BE 'REPEATERS'
One officer Transgresses Ten Times.
More Severe Penalties Are Urged
by Maj. Hesse.

Fuft1er evidence 10 support MS charge
that leniency on the part Of the Police
Trial Board is largely responsible for
existing conditions in the police force
was produced today by Maj Edwin B.
Hesse, superintendent, as the District
Commissioners definitely prepared to
carry out his recommendations for
drastic reorganization in the personnel
as we'll as the structure of the depart
ments disciplinary body.
The change in the trial board most
likely will be ordered by the Comnis-
sioners at their semi-weekly board meet
ing tomorrow, it was learned today at
the District Building. Whether the
Commissioners will approve Maj Hesse's
plan of reorganization, which provides
for a board of three members with an
assistant corporation counsel serving
as the prosecutor, or whether they will
provide an entirely different lineup, Is
a question yet to be determined. But
at any rate. assurance was given that
a new trial board with an entirely diff
ferent personnel is to be created to
handle the numerous cases now on the
docket.
Penalties Not Severe.
The information Maj Hesse gathered
to convince the Commissioners that
the present trial board fails to realize
the necessity of imposing severe penal
ties" is rough tabulation of the cases
handled by the trial board in the first
nine months of the current calendar
year.
These statistics reveal that of the AIS
cases heard by the board. 68 of them
involved "repeaters" policemen who
have been before the disciplinary body
more than once. One of these police
men, the records show, went before
the board 10 times in the 9-month
period: one Z times, one times, four
5 times, one times, fourteen 3 times
and forty-six times. It is these So
called 'repeaters" Maj. HeSse has
charged with bringing discredit on th
Police Department.
While the trial board brought In coll
victions in all but So of the AS cases,
Maj. HeSSe points out that the penalties
were not severe, otherwise large num-
Der of the constant ''repeaters" would
not now be attached to the force. The
the adoption of a fixed penalty of
mandatory dismissal in certain cases
which would eliminate major portion
of the repeater" cases, but the Com
n1issioners, it was indicated, are not
likely to approve this request.
Stronger Board Desired.
The Commissioners are said to feel
that strong. Virile board" with dis
cretionary authority, likely would do
more to remedy existing conditions and
prevent any potential injustice to an Of
f1cer than a board forced by official
orders to dismiss upon conviction for cer-
tain offenSes. For instance, 1t was point
ed out there are varying degrees of
drunkenness, and different men act
quite differently under the influence Of
intoxicantS. Under Mai. HesSe'S plan,
an officer convicted of drinking either
on or off duty would be removed from
the force. But the Commissioners, it
was said, do not believe that police
man who drinks without becoming un-
ruly or boiSterouS should be inflicted
with the same punishment as one who
creates disturbance.
Maj. Hesse's tabulation of the trial
board cases also shows that more than
one-half of them, 267 to be exact, in
volved various minor offenSeS, such as
falling to report box, etc. Approx
mately 100 of them were classified as
serious cases." while 48 affected officers
charged with non-payment of bills.
In diSpoSing of the AIS cases the
trial board dismissed SO and reached
a verdict of not guilty in 6 others.
Efficiency Believed Impaired.
Maj HesSe has made no effort to
conceal the gravity of the condition
which he believes Is impairing the
efficiency of the force. In a recent
report to Mr.. Dougherty, which the
Commissioner made public, the police
superintendent said:
THE large number of fragrant viola
tions of the rules of the department
which are being committed by its
members are a source of grave con-
Germ. Almost daily men are being re-
ported and suspended for being in
toxicated while on duty and committing
other offenseS necesSitating drastic
action by the department.
1T is apparent that the present trial
board fails to realize the necessity for
imposing severe penalties In order to
check abuses of the rules and regula-
tions of the department.
DiSmiSSalS Favored.
I'm my opinion. there can be no ques-
ton but what, in order to correct the
situation, some of the violatorS should
be dismissed. Drinking of intoXicantS
by police officers at any time is a source
of grave criticism. but there can be no
excuse for an officer drinking while on
duty, and when it can be shown by
competent witnesses that they have
been so doing. dismissal should be the
penalty, and were this these case think
we should have fewer offenSeS.
There are several cases now pending
be imposed in order to have a whole
some effect in so far as maintaining
discipline in the department is con-
cerned
while under the rules and rcgula-
tions the major and superintendent is
charged with maintenance of diSci-
pline in the department. yet 1t is beiro
found difficult to do so under the pres
ent manner in which the trial board Is
Commissioner Dougherty again today
discussed the Police Department situa-
ton with Maj. HeSSe and Daniel E.
Garges, secretary to the Board of Com
missioners. He also has taken 1t up
with his colleague. Engineer Conmis-
sioner William B. Ladue, who returned
to his desk yesterday after a vacation.
There had been some talk of defer
ring the proposed reorganization of the
rial board until the return of Com
missioner Sidney F. Taliaferro, who Is
now in Scotland. but owing to his long
absence and the pressure being brought
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