Evening star., 1932-10-20
|CHARGES IN BURKE
| CASE MADE PUBLIC
Seven Specifications Prefer.
red by GIassford Against
Police Inspector.

Gen. Pelham D. Glassford's charges
OF lack of cooperation against 1nspec-
tor Frank S. w. Burke, were contained
in correspondence to the District Com
missioners in the early part of this
month. In the first letter dated Octo-
ber 3, Gen. Glassford said:
Changes in assignment, Metropolitan
Police Force, District Of Columbia.
"On September 80, Inspector Frank
S. w. Burke, assistant superintendent,
commanding the Detective Bureau, was
| notified that it was my intention to have
him relieved from the command OF the
Detective Bureau, but that II he SO de-
sired he would be given an opportunity
to retire in the grade of assistant super
intendent under the circumstances
which it is believed he deserved.
"On the same day, Inspector Burke
applied in writing for retirement and
this communication has been forwarded
to the retiring and relief board.
Inspector Burke has been examined
by the Board Of Police and Fire Sur
geonS and has been found physically fit
for regular duty.
Burke's Letter Cited.
.
ter of his proposed relief from the COM
mand of the Detective Bureau is eX-
pressed by paragraph of his letter,
as follows:
AS l told you many months ago. II
for any reason you did not have full
confidence in me, then / could be OF
no use TO you or our department l
still feel that way about it, and since
you have indicated that you have prob
ably lost confidence in me here, then
l can realize that my usefulness to you
and the department is at an end
inspector Burke is an officer of more
than 80 years police experience. His
recognized courage, ability and integ-
rity have made him one OF the out
! standing officers of the department.
There is no question as to the efficiency
of Inspector Burkes administration in
the Detective Bureau from the point of
view of his personal supervision main
tenance of discipline and securing quite
satisfactory results from his force. yet
it is also my belief that the Detective
Bureau has been built up by Inspector
Burke to a state of efficiency beyond
which. under his administration, it
cannot go, and as this state of eff
cheney is not completely satisfactory,
Inspector Burke has outlived his use
fulness as chief Of detectives. In an
| endeavor to inaugurate progressive de-
velopment and moderniZation beyond
! the traditional and stereotype function
ing of detective bureau, have sensed
temperamental inability to cooperate.
Relieves Burke of Post.
Issuance of the following order:
ordered:
That Asst Supt. F. S. W. Burke is
hereby relieved from his assignment in
command of the Detective Bureau, with
additional compensation at the rate OF
900 per annum, effective on and after
October 8, 1882
BY direction of the major and su-
perintendent.
, tSignedJ LEWIS H EDWARDS.
Assistant Superintendent, Executive
Officer
Gen Glassford's memorandum to the
Commissioners, giving specific instances
OF Burke'S lack Of cooperation. dated
,, October 5, follows:
To Commissioner Crosby:
With reference to the letter of Oc-
! tober g. to the Commissioners concern
! ing the retirement of Assist. Supt
! Frank S. w. Burke or his reassignment
! the following specific instances are SUBJ
! mitted for your information relative II
! matters wherein there has been failure
! to secure cooperation from Inspector
| Burke in the development of his de-
| partment:
"A. Written orders requiring tina;
| detective sergeants be maintained under
| three claSSificationS, according to theil
! efficiency, namely, class A, class B ano
class c., with an elimination of those
I who remained in class c for a full
/ three month period.
Effort to Combine Bureaus.
b Suggestions which originated
with the Commissioners to arrange and
maintain a chart which would show
assignments and cases closed by de-
tective sergeants as guage of their
relative merit and efficiency.
&C. Efforts to secure interest in
| undermining the lineup room by means
of lights and screen.
ID. Efforts to eliminate the bad
psychological effect of parading indi-
viduals placed in the lineup for idsnti-
! ficauion in a manner which enables
| them to see the witnesses brought in tC
make identifications.
e Efforts to combine the Detec-
| tive Bureau and the Crime Prevention
| Bureau into a smooth-working combi-
| nation.
&c. Compliance with regulations re-
I quiring that he shall keep the major
and superintendent fully advised as tC
| the work of his bureau, and where i'm
| portant cases are under investigation
! shall consult frequently with and
advise the major and superintendent
of such progress as is being made
H Efforts to establish courses oi
| theoretical instructions for members
| of the Detective Bureau.
PELHAM D. GLASSFORD,
Major and Superintendent