Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-01
Continued From First pase)

included.
Appended to the comparatively brief
report Of the commission itself was a
| 127-page study as police conditions pre-
pared by August Vollmer. professor OF
police administration at the University
! of Chicago; David G. Monros and Earle
w. Garrett, research assistants in the
department of political economy Of the
same university.
OF the cities specifically mentioned in
both reports Milwaukee was the only one
to receive unqualified praise. The COM
mission cited it as "a city free from
crime or where the criminal Is speedily
detected, arrested and promptly tried
and sent on his way to serve his time. /"
1t added that mo other city has such q
record"
CONCERNING the methods under which
police chiefs are selected and controlled,
the commission said Indianapolis a few
years ago had furnished a classic In
stance"
Tailor Named Chief.
1t said the mayor appointed his tai
Tor as police chief because he had been
his tailor for 20 years and he knew he
was good tailor, and so necessarily
would make good chief of police"
Speaking of factors that contributed
to make police departments the play
thing Of crooked politicians" the swift
changing of officials in New York and
Chicago was called "6eplorable.
1t was said that Los Angeles was
once controlled by a few gamblers.
San Francisco was said to have been
so completely controlled by gamblers
at one time that three of them shook
dice to determine who would name the
first police chief, who the second and
who the third.
When gamblers were driven out Of
Detroit recently. 1t was said, they re-
taliated by BUSTING the commissioner
from office, despite his being "recog-
nized by police chiefs as one of the
ablest police executives in America"
Kansas City was named as having
been controlled by vice ring that
would brook mo interference with their
enterprises" 1t was added that Chi
cago. despite its unenviable reputation,
IS but one of the numerous cities where
the people have frequently been be-
trayed by their elected of1cials.
The commission asserted that often
the chief Of police, being subject to
dismissal when displeasing the mayor
or the politicians who put him in
office, many times was forced Ito heed
the adrnonitions Of his patrons and
to follow their often brutal orders to
go easy on this or that criminal or
criminal gang who are in alliance with
his patrons
Public Sickened.
THE public has long been sickened,"
the commission said, by the usual for
mula periodically issued by the mayors
ONCE whenever there is a change in
that ofice-that the new chief has re-
ceived orders to heed no one in the
discharge Of his duties, but fearleSSly to
protect the public against the criminal
They know from experience that it
is not true, and If the chief we're to
follow such reputed directions his term
would be very much shorter than two
and forty-one hundredths years (the
estimated average tenure in the larger
cities).''
Vollmer praised conditions in Mil
waukee because the chief Of police there
was removed entirely from political con-
troll.
ITO suggest that the head of a po-
lice department" Vollmer said. be
protected by civil service provisions
objections by the professional politician,
because he knows that 1t would weaken
his chances of controlling the police in
the city, and thus interfere seriously
with financial collections from the I'M
derworld for campaign expenses.
While there are many other sources
from which the political bosses secure
contributions, in the main the funds
which really make successful campaigns
possible, come from the owners and
habitues of vice, gambling and bootleg
ging resorts. Accordingly, every effort Is
directed toward securing the appoint
ment of a police executive favorable
to their cause, one who Will take orders
without hesitancy."
Attacking the types OF men who make
up most police forces, Monroe asserted
that so per cent of the present person
mel have never entered high school. The
great majority, he said, are net suited
either by temperament, training or
education for their position" and ac-
cording to some standards rs per cent
ARE not mentally endowed to perform
the duties assigned them
Communication Poor.
In urging that the police be more
modernly equipped, the commission as
serted that, with perhaps two excep-
tions, not a single police force Of cities
above 100000 population has an ade-
ouate communications system and
equipment essential In these days to
meet the criminal on even equal
terms"
It particularly praised Detroit, saying
out of 1888 broadcasts in 1929 the po-
lice made ! 1875 arrests at an average of
minute AZ seconds, frequently getting
the guilty person in the very act OF
committing his crime.
Monroe's report said 500 important
arrests, made in Detroit in the average
time of 80 seconds, constituted the
most astounding record ever entered in
police annals"
He quoted Commissioner Rutledge as
saying murdererS had been caught at
the scene of their crime, burglars had
been apprehended while still piling up
their loot, bank stick-up men placed in
handouts within so seconds after leav-
ing the bank and man saved from
drowning 10 seconds after the alarm
was broadcast.
Chicago was criticized because at
least Is minutes were reported neces-
sary to sound an alarm in its 40 sta
tions by telephone.
Monroe said that Sin this day and
age of minutes and seconds that type
of service is medieval and must be
abolished"
Headquarters Praised.
This same report praised the types
Of police headquarters found in Mil
waukee, San Francisco, Cleveland, st.
ION the other hand" it added, 1--WE
have conditions in our large cities
which are the very antithesis Of proper
policing. Kansas City, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis and Denver are repre-
sentative of the extent to which rapidly
changing conditions have created prob
lens with which the police depart
ments have not been given adequate
facilities to cope.
added to the common effectiveness
of the headquarters is the great in
adequacy of properly situated and up
| t,,-date substation houses. The sur
veys made Of Los Angeles, Minneapolis.
Kansas City. Detroit, Cleveland and
| Cincinnati all disclosed facts that de-
..ardaa {rounediate change