Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-20
Police Morale.


police has been destroyed because Of an
attempt to stamp out the vicious and
illegal practice Of the third degree, Of
what stun is that morale made?
1t Is discomforting to learn that the
executive council of the American
Legion Of the District has been in
formed, and obviously believes. that the
morale Of the police has been dis
rupted" to such an extent that, since the
institution Of the present inquiry into
the practice Of the third degree. fewer
arrests have been made. For the in
formation conveyed to the Legion comes
from what must be accepted as excellent
authority. The authority for the state
ment is Policeman william McGrath,
assigned as a clerk in the ONCE of the
corporation counsel at Police Court and
whose honorable title as commander Of
the Police Post of the Legion entities
him to q voice within its inner council.
Mr.. McGrath is presumably In close
touch with the police morale that, he
says, has been disrupted.
Maj. Gen. Amos A. Fries, q. S. A.,
retired, views Mr.. McGrath's pronounce
ment with alarm. Is 1t not one of the
favorite devices Of the boring-from-
within Reds to break down the work Of
the officers charged with the enforce
ment Of capitalistic laws? Does not such
condition provide fruitful ground for
the seeds Of radicalism and whatnot?
whittier are we bound? Have faith in
the policel
Most Of us have faith in the police
that is not necessarily bolstered by Q
fear Of Gen. Fries Reds. It is I'M
necessary, IS far as most Of the people
are concerned, to pass resolutions ask
ing for faith In the police. Faith in
the police is pretty well established and
is not shaken until members Of the
Police Department begin running
around and demanding It and making
public confessions Of the pitiable fact
that their nerves are jumpy their sleep
disturbed, their hands are tied. their
tongues are swallowed and their mo-
rale"-poor things shot to pieces be-
cause of a concerted attempt to drive
the rascals out.
If one accepts as premise the fact
that police morale has been destroyed,
it must likewise be accepted that the
destruction Of such morale has been
caused by the investigation Of the third
degree The conclusion, therefore, is
that continued police morale depends
upon freedom from investigation Of
third-degree methods. Which reduces
the argument to q palpable absurdity.
Ifspolice morale has been destroyed
because prisoner charges brutal treat
ment by police, and the passive and
complaisant attitude of police officials
in the face of such charges leads to
an investigation by the Department Of
Justice which reveals even more dirt,
then such morale is not worth bother
ing about and the sooner 1t Is de-
stroyed the better.
If police morale has been destroyed,
the police. and nobody else, are to
their outraged indignation over its de-
struction, a long suffering public will
begin to believe them and to accept as
fact the statement that Its police
department has no morale.
That, In the end. may be the out
come Of this unfortunate mess. A
police department cannot exist without
morale, for morale means disciplined
self-conhdence, zeal and pride in the
courageous performance Of duty. Once
destroyed, morale must be rebuilt. 1t
stands to reason that those who are
responsible for the destruction Of this
morale cannot be entrusted with the
heavier responsibility Of creating 1t
again. The police force must have an
indestructible morale. Building 1t,
maintaining 1t, begins at the top.
Morale is not made by passing silly
resolutions deploring its destruction.