Evening star., 1941-06-30
|nformers Led
ByFormerW Wire
Taper, HeSays
CcIIuhun Declares
Stool Pigeons Spy
On Officers Here
Earlier Story on Page A-1D

Earlier Story on Page A-1.)
Chairman Schultz of the House
subcommittee investigating the
Metropolitan Police Department
precipitated a sensation late to-
day by asking a witness-Capt.
Harvey G. Callahan, commander
of Precinct No. whether there
is a Gestapo in the department
headed by fellow who once
tapped wires here"
Capt. Callahan. who had Just pre-
Vlously startled the subcommittee
with a statement he believed the
police department to be only rs
per cent efficient and that a general
shakeup would make for a very
wholesome situa ton" replied:
There has arisen within the de-
partment generally within the last
few years an all-too- Well-founded
suspicion that they are being made
the subject of reports by a confiden-
tial squad of stool pigeons and in
formers who are spying on their
activities, official and otherwise.
and carrying back reports to the
superintendent.
Prejudiced Against Officers.
Such squad is usually COM
posed of men who have passed the
civil service tests for appointment,
and have been confldentially ap-
pointed without the knowledge of
other members of the department.
beyond a very limited group. They
have had no experience and have no
acquaintance with the duties of a
policeman. They may and fire.
quently do bring with them into
the department certain prejudices
against uniformed officers. They
are instructed and indoctrinated
with the idea of turning in reports
allegedly setting forth misconduct
On the part of other members of the
force. They have no background
whatever which would help them in
determining whether or not certain
actions on the part of, for instance,
uniformed men are proper or i'm
proper. They judge such actions to
be improper and report accordingly.
Such reports are frequently
made the basis of various kinds
of disciplinary action, transfers.
changes in assignments for the in
dlvidual who is reported and he
has no chance to explain nor de-
fend himself against such action"
Officers play Politics."
Capt. Callahan also was asked
whether he thought there were ever
any "cliques'' in the Police Depart
ment.
Il think So" he declared.
In addition he was asked whether
there is "lot of politics" in the de-
partment.
Yes" he responded emphatically.
When one man plays politics" he
added. another man feels he has to
do the same thing in self defense"
Representative Hebert, Democrat.
OF Louisiana, who sponsored the in
vestlgation, remarked that Capt.
Callahan was speaking so frankly"
he would keep a close watch to find
out whether there would be any
'reprisals.'
Capt. Callahan, the only member
of the department who went
through the special police training
school conducted by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, declared
that Is per cent of the members of
the police force depend upon the
other IS per cent to do their work.
Frankly" he declared, some of
the men don't do all that they are
paid to do"
Has Lack of Confidence.
His testimony conf1icted sharply
with that of Inspector James F.
Beckett, acting superintendent, who
earlier testified he believed the de-
partment to be efficient.
Capt. Callahan. in response to a
request by Chairman Schultz to out
line suggestions that would increase
the efficiency of the force declared:
Frankly, I am not going to start
off by telling you gentlemen that the
department is 100 per cent efficient.
There is lack of mutual con-
1dence between superiors and sub
ordinates and the men of equal
rank" declared Capt. Callahan.
He pointed out that in some in
stances, when superior officer gives
a policeman a routine assignment he
doesn't know whether he has
brought back the truth" until he
checks the information himself.
Young Looks Amazed.
"The officer might 60 around the
corner and come back with a report
saying to himself:
I have got to tell the captain
something
Some of the men don't 90 into
things thoroughly. Some cases are
due to just damn laziness."
And after Capt. Callahan made
the sensational statements both
Chairman Schultz and Representa-
tive Hebert, Democrat, of Louisiana
who proposed the investigation,
complimented him for his outspoken
testimony.