Evening star., 1928-04-08
MAINTAINING POLICE DISCIPLINE
NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS

Now you take the matter Of trans
ferring a policeman from one precinct
to another You wouldn't believe 1t II
/ told you the fog that can be raised
by transferring policeman. Some OF
them want to be transferred and others
don't want to be transferred. Il !
try TO get guy transferred out Of my
precinct because / don't like him, be-
cause think he's a poor cop, because
he's a troublemaker--wen. here's what
might happen. That fellow looks up his
Congressman. He goes over TO see him
and the Congressman writes or cal1s
on the chief of police or the Comnnis
sioners and asks them why this man IS
being transferred. / might get him
transferred and again mightnt. But
how Is 1t that a precinct captain can't
have little say in thing like that?
Sometimes there's more trouble over
trying to get policeman transferred
than the President runs into If lle
nominates a man for Attorney General.
You'd think it was as important
And leaves Of absence Why. / got
letter the other day, sent down from
headquarters, about one Of my men.
Congressman was writing to the super
intendent of police asking him to give
this man leave Of absence. / didn't
even know the fellow wanted a leave
OF absence. Instead Of putting in his
application through his precinct cap
tain, he runs over on the Hill and gets
friend to write letter about II. And
while there's some Congressmen that
let us know they don't give a hang
whether we do anything about 1t or not,
there are others not like that. If they
ask something. they want It done. We
are glad to do anything We can for
them, but you see the effect Of it on
discipline. tell member Of my COM
at me and get busy. A week later I
nave to say Yes and that man gives
me the merry ha ha and tells the
others how he put something over on
the captain, the superintendent the
Commissioners and the whole Police
Department. That amt discipline.
That's some kind of note. and YOU
know the kind of note it is.
oh. know the Police Department
ISM the only organization that has 10
put up with that sort of thing. The
Army. the Navy and the Marine CoruS
have their troubles. But here in
washington we're right smack uD
against the Capitol We can't move q
nnger without hurting somebody's con-
stituent. There are lots Of members
OF Congress who keep hands of. OF
VINO just give us the wink and write
letter. But there are others who take
personal interest in sort of seeing
things through.
Before the force went under the
civil service there was a residence
clause for members requiring them 10
prove residence in the District for tvo
wears prior to appointment on the force.
There was one advantage there. In
TWO years they were apt to have lost
touch with the members Of Congress
But now We get policemen from ali
over the country. They come in here.
pass the civil service examinations.
get on the force and go over 10 the
Capitol to say howdy and talk about
the folks back home In the course Of
the conversation the policeman saws he
has just written some Of the folks bark
home that here in Washington Con-
gresham So-and-So is the big wind
himself. So Congressman So-a1ld-so
asks there's any little thing the
policeman would like done. If he's
getting promoted fast enough to suit
him and If the captain and major are
treating him right He may say yes
and he may say no. You get me?
"Oh. I'm not blaming Congress for
all our troubles The members of Con-
greSs are the best friends we have
But when you ask me about discipline.
young man. you are asking me about
something that makes me warm IN
when get started. This is a hot day.
now, amt it?''