Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-13
Gen. Crosby and the Police.

Gen. Crosby has probably received
more expressions of confidence in his
ability to handle a tough job than
any man who ever took over the diff
cult task of supervising, as a Com
missioner, the Washington Police De-
partment. The nature of the controversy
over his status as a retired Army
officer has tended to embarrasS him
with praise, for those who took the
stand in behalf of his eligibility pointed
to his fine record in the Army as an
argument, while those who opposed his
eligibility were careful to point out
that their opposition was not founded
on lack of faith in his ability but upon
points of law for which he was in no
way responsible.
AS matter of fact, this likable and
efficient soldier should be well equipped
: to deal with the physical aspects of
the Police Depa' tment, for his long
experience in h1ndling men and in
maintaining disc bline and morale will
stand him in coed stead. His attractive
personality will win him many friends
and inspire the faith and allegiance
Of his subordinateS.
But Gen. Crosby will find that MAIN
tanning good morale and esprit de corps
IN the Police Department is a task that
Will tax the resources of a genius. When
a body of men in uniform is constantly
under steady fire of innuendo and I'M
.substantiated charges, while they watch
from the ranks the effect of pot shots
taken at their constituted superiors,
their morale naturally willis away like a
platoon charging a machine gun nest.
They become suspicious of each other,
and certain premium has heretofore
been placed upon tale bearing. Some
times the transfer of one police private
from one precinct to another involves
the precinct commander in enough cor
respondence to settle the war debt, while
the business of administering discipline
airy punishment will evoke upon the
head of the department enough criti-
cism to blacken a mans character and
put him under suspicion as a derelict
and a lawbreaker.
Gen. Crosby will find awaiting him
certain recommendations from the ad-
r1inistrative heads of the department
for reorganization and enlargement of
personnel. These recommendations have
been urged heretofore without much
success. Their merits must, of course,
be judged carefully by those responsible
for making the changes, and Gen.
Crosby Is not apt to rush head over
heels into any feVerish Endorsement of
this and that. He will take the recon-
mendations under study, and after
necessary lapse of time decide for him.
self what is best for the Police Depart
ment. No one doubts his Judgment nor
his ability to carry out his decisions.
But the fight he has ahead of him is
not confined to charging the detective
bureau, establishing an efficient school
for policemen and getting more patrol
men on the streets. His greatest task
Is to rebuild the faith of the commu-
nifty, and of the police themselves, in
the Police Department. He will find
Cnat the police are subject to the same
sort OF unwarranted attacks as that de-
livered from the floor of the Senate
upon the citizens of Washington who
contested his own eligibility-such
as, ITO refuse to confirm Mr.. Crosby
would be to lend encouragement to
those very elements in the District
that oppose his nomination because
they do not want the police to enforce
the law"
These are the most injurious attacks,
for they resort to rhetorical trickery
and misrepresentation in place of the
truth and the facts. The Police Depart
ment has suffered more from these at
tacks than from merited criticism. No
man could enter upon his duties with
more sympathetic and loyal commu-
nifty of law-abiding citizens supporting
him than Gen. Crosby. And the police
themselves welcome his leadership.