Evening star., 1932-10-21
Gen. Glassford's Resignation.

Gen. Glassford's Resignation.
The same sort of impulsiveness that
made of Gen. Glassford the most color
full and perhaps the most popular
superintendent of police Washington
ever had has brought about his res.g-
nation less than year after he took
office. This impulsiveness is familiar
enough to those who have watched his
moves and counter moves reflected from
day to day in the headlines. Combined
with such excellent traits of character
as moral and physical courage, sense
of humor, creative Imagination ena-
bling him to meet unexpected situations
in an unexpected way and a certain
devil-may-care jauntiness, he was a
fine leader and an excellent man to
have around in a pinch. He demon
strated that.
He demonstrated it to the people OF
Washington as well as to his superiors,
the Commissioners, who went to rather
extraordinary ends to retain him in
office. But it became apparent some
time ago that one grave question aris-
ing at the District Building was
whether the dog was to wag the tail or
the tail was to wag the dog.
Through what could have been moth
ing short of impetuous action, taken
with no real study of the consequences
or even in compliance with the pro-
cedure outlined in the statutes and de-
manded by the ordinary amenities OF
oficial relationship. Gen. Glassford pre-
cipitated an altogether unnecessary issue.
He was generously provided with a
method to sidestep it. He declined
to accept it. His resignation was
the obvious course and the only way
out, unless the Commissioners had
chosen to make themselves his subordi-
mates.
Men and officers in the Police De-
partment are protected by the Civil
Service regulations. They are promoted
in accordance with these regulations,
and are punished or removed only for
cause. The exceptions to this rule are
the major and superintendent Of police
and the assistant superintendent and
inspectors. The major and superintend-
ent is appointed by and responsible to
the Commissioners, although it is held
that he can be removed only for cause
and after trial The assistant su-
perintendent and the inspectors, in the
wording of the act, shall be selected
from among the captains of the force.
and shall be returned to the rank of
captain when the Commissioners so de-
termine" Gen. Glassford's abrogation
of the rules and regulations and his as
sumption Of authority resting only with
the Commissioners might have been
overlooked and pardoned on the ground
Of unfamiliarity with the statutes.
But another and more important is
sue had been projected. The Commis-
sioners would either have to back him
up in approving his tardy recommended
tions for certain transfers and demo-
tions, after he had already issued the
orders, or refuse to give their approval
The reason they could not give their
approval was the failure by Gen. Glass
fosd to demonstrate, by proper presenta-
tion of specifications and charges, that
the men whom he would penalize by
demotion were deserving of such pen
alties. To have agreed without exam
lining the grounds for recommended de-
motion would have removed elemental
safeguards against abuse Of arbitrary
authority by an individual, and the law
does not contemplate resting such arbi-
trary authority with the superintendent
of police. 1t does not even give such
authority to the Commissioner to whom,
for convenience, is assigned nominal
jurisdiction over the Police Department.
1t rests with the Commissioners as a
body.
Gen. Glassford says that he found
himself in the ''equivocal position" Of SO
many other police chiefs
Namely. holding a position of great
responsibility, but deprived of the
essential authority to discharge it with
out fear and without favor. This, I
must point out, has been one of the
chief reasons for difficulties and failures
in the police departments of too many
of our cities.
The same reasoning, of course, could
be applied to explain what many already
conceive as the failure of democratic
government. 1t is the fundamental
thought behind the establishment Of
relationships. The successful leader
and the successful police chief in a
democracy adapts himself to the sys-
tenn, the DEFICIENCIES of which are out
weighed by its many advantages.