The Wilmington morning star., 1947-03-01

IIe COMMISSION refuses to cO1.
firm any person proposed for pro-
motion, and SO notifies the City
Council within said period Of time,
the City Council is then required
TO send to the Commission some
other member of the department
for promotion and confirmation or
rejection; thus, in the final analy-
Sis, the Civil Service Commission
has the power to determine all
promotions and demotions without
regard to the desire Of the Council
CT the City Manager in such
cases; and in a number of in
stances the City Council has been
unable to obtain promotions which
it believed in the best interest Of
the best operations in said depart.
ments, for that the Civil Service
Commission has refused to con-
firm or concur in such promo
tons; and
WHEREAS, the City Council
and the City Manager find it in
creasingly difficult to maintain
proper morale, proper discipline
and proper control of the conduct
of the officers and members OF
said departments, for that neither
the City Council, City Manager,
nor the Chiefs of said departments
has sufficient authority to enforce
discipline, rules or regulations, Or
to temporarily suspend a member
fer violation or failure to perform
q duty or misconduct while on
duty, and in some instances tenn
porary suspensions have been re-
voked by the Civil Service Com
mission; and
WHEREAS, under date of Feb
ruary %, 1945, one G. C. Looney,
then a member of the police force,
was charged with assaulting a
war veteran, cursing a white wait
ress in a restaurant, and being in
t~oxicated while on duty. which
charges were Investigated and
supported by five or more written
statements and affidavits certi-
tying to the truth of said charges
ard allegations. After due consi-
Iteration of said matters by the
Chief of the Police Department,
the City Manager and the City
Council, the City Council recon-
lnended to the Commission that
S a i d Looney be discharged from
the police force. The Council
transmitted, il writing, to the
Commission its action, the result
OF it's investigation and evidence
in support of said charges; and
thereafter, on or about March 26,
1945, the Commission held a meet
ing to consider what action it
would take In h e Looney case,
and at said meeting the Commits
sion took the position that there
was nothing before it to hear or
consider, but revoked the suspen-
sion of said Looney which had
been given him by the Chief CT
the Police Department, and
permitted him to be freed of all
such charges. and he was thereby
~exonerated. In a matter OF months
thereafter, the said Looney as
saulted a person he was about to
arrest and was charged with
shooting and killing said person;
and
WHEREAS, heretofore, n c.
]. Hinson, a member of the Police
force during the years OF 1913,
1914 and 1945, on six different &C.
| casions assaulted persons being
arrested by him. using his fists
and black jack. On June 18, 1913,
Hlnson was suspended because Of
his assault on one Gordon B.
Green. On August 10, 1943, he as
saulted 1t. E. H. Simpson. On
August %, 1913, he assaulted n
Leo Thompson. On November II,
1914, he assaulted one Willie
Davis; and on November rs, 1874,
he assaulted a negro then being
arrested; and on November IA,
1915, the said Hinson arrested on
Market Street, near Second Street,
Hosea Russ. He called a police
car, and when the car came Hin
son put the prisoner in the car,
got in the car, left his beat with
cut permission to do so, and while
the car was being driven to Police
Headquarters, the said Hinson I'M
mercifully assaulted and beat up
said Russ to such extent that it
was necessary to take him to the
hospital for treatment. AS a re-
suit of the conduct of said Hiason,
and particularly the repeated as
saults upon persons being arrest
ed, the CHEZ of the Police De-
partment, on November II, 1915,
addressed a letter to the Secretary
of h e Civil Service Commission
reporting on the Russ assault and
supplying the Commission with
written affidavits. The Chief re-
quested that Hinson be dismissed
and discharged from the Depart
ment, and the Commission, upon
considering the case, refused to
discharge said Hinson, and per-
llllttCd Willy d eOl1lHOl dly oooPC1l
sion which action had been taken
by the Chief upon the investigation
of the aggravated assaults on said
Russ, and the said Hinscn was
permitted to continue as a mem
Der of the department until a few
days ago when he resigned. be-
cause of the discovery Of conduct
on his part making him unfit to
remain as an officer in the Police
Department; and
WHEREAS, the Council after
due consideration and mature ex-
perience, is of the opinion that the
said Civil Service Acts should be
so amended to enable the Council
to select and appoint a Chief OF
the Police and Fire Departments;
make promotions when promotions
are desired and make demotions