Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-02
POLICE CHIEF HELD
EVANSVILLE NEED
Caesar /. AieIIo, in Letter to
Star, Protests Adjustment
49, by Council.

In letter to The Evening Star Gaze
sar L. Aiello of Hyattsville protests
against action Of the mayor and COM
mon council Of that city in abolishing
the office Of chief Of police.
ut has been reported that the mayor
and common council Of Hyattsville has
voted to abolish the ONCE Of chief Of
police and thereby have removed from
Office Chief Carl M. Blanchard" said
the letter. Economy has been pleaded
as the reason for the change.
Without questioning the good faith
Of our town fathers, the change does
not appear to be in keeping with the
progressive and modern community in
which We live. It Is said that\ the
mayor and council desire to revert back
to the old days when the police officer
was called q bailiff, with limited pow
ers and duties. The specifications for
the new man are prescribed as an ON
Ger without q uniform, one who would
be required to be q janftor to the Mu-
nicipal Building and who would be sta
toned in the Fire Department and not
40 any considerable amount of street
patrolling. Obviously, such plan is:
First, poor economy; second, poor
protection to the citizens and homes of
our community.
Protection Is Need.
"The policy of our town fathers
should be, as 1t has been, the best pro.
lection possible for the most reasonable
compensation. It has been too often
demonstrated that we get Just what we
pay Tor, and an officer must be paid
adequately, so that he can live In ordi-
nary comfort and decency. Chief
Blanchard was paid 81 800 per year, q
salary small enough, compared with the
responsibilities Of the once and the
manner man err In which these responsibilities
THE economic program calls for a
cut from $1,000 to $500 per year.
Apart from the fact that no officer can
anord to work for such q salary, the
saving Is so small that the average tax
payer VIII get no good from this change,
even If 1t were good one.
Assuming that proper economy
necessitates the pairing down of the
salary paid fol police protection, and
that the proposed plan for a town
bailtn would work. it would seem only
fair to offer the new position, If and
when created. to Chief Blanchard.
Without celebrating extensively upon
the work he has done in the past two
years, while he was in ONCE. q few
things may be said which will prove
his value, past and present, economical
ly and otherwise.
Chief Little Expense.
from an economic standpoint, Chief
Blanchard has received q total salary
Of $3,842.50 during his term of ONCE
There has also been paid in his behalf
the sum Of $240.19 for uniforms and
equipment. This is a total expenditure
for policing Of $4,o82.6s. Through his
efforts there has been turned over to
the town authorities the total sum OF
1920, as fines and penalties for vio-
lations Of town ordinances, exclusive OF
violations Of State laws. Actually
therefore, the taxpayers, represented by
the town ofhcialS, have been called
upon the assume the sum Of S96269
the difference between salary, ETC., and
fines and penalties collected. On q
monthly basis. the taxpayers have paid
for Chief Blanchard's services only al
the rate of $50.66. If from this be SUBJ
tracted the sum Of S453. 20 expended By
him in loaning the use Of his own per.
Sonal automobile during the first eleven
months of service for which he asked
no reimbursement the figure is reduced
to the ridiculously small monthly sum
Of $26.82 from the taxpayers pockets
Does this look like expensive police
protection? And where can we finc
better police protection for any amount
than we have received from CHIEF
| Blanchard? CAESAR L. AIELLO."
Hyattsville, Md.
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