The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1952-09-11

us when ne hrSt look ONCE, III OTueT
he and his department has accom-
passed since he made the statemen
At the Police "In Service" School
held at the University of Maryland
last week, Hagerstown Police Com
missioner M. E. Ellinger was one OF
the main speakers.
The school is conducted by the
College of Special and Continuation
Studies and the University of Mary
land Police, of which Daniel Wise
man is Chief, and was sponsored by
the Maryland Police Association.
Mr.. Ellinger, who spoke on pub
lie Relations" was introduced by
Major Ruxton M. Ridgely, Executive
Officer of the Maryland State Police,
who was highly complimentary of
both the Hagerstown Police Depart
ment and Mr.. Ellinger in his intro
ductory remarks. Cor the editors
interview with Major Ridgely, see
around Town With The Editor,
page ~
During his address, Mr.. Ellinger
covered the entire field of Public
Relations, with particular emphasis
on how this important phase of po-
lice work has been handled in Ha-
gerstown, and at the end of his adj
dress there was a question and
answer period in which number of
the members of the school took part.
Attending the school from the Ha-
gerstown Police Department were:
1t. Harold B. Kiser, Sgt. Lewis F.
Blenard, Jr., Sgt. Grayson F. Doarn-
berger, Detective Albert Lowry, ST.,
and Detective Grayson Wigfeld.
The text of his address follows:
l feel honored that l have been
selected to participate in this en-
Service" School, and believe that I
have been assigned topic which
can be more helpful to Police De-
partment than any other subject
that I can think of.
For this reason / feel that an ex-
pert in the field of Public Relations
should have assigned this duty,
rather than a person with only lit
tie more than three years associa-
ton with Police Work-and that not
as full time position, since I only
put in Is, 10 or 20 hours day on the
job, giving the remaining time to
my personal business.
However, ! feel that l am among
friends, and if you will enter into
the spirit of the occasion with me, it
is quite likely that we can both ben
eft by this time allotted to Public
Relations. Let us sort of think to-
gether-say think out loud-possibly
using me as a moderator, or medium.
If we just let our hair down, and
talk about things that we have all
experienced in Public Relations, it
will give us ideas that might not
have occurred to us otherwise.
l am a person who feels that rather
than spend a lot Of time in reading
a prepared paper, or making a
speech, for the entire time allotted,
more can be learned by giving some
basic facts and relating some expert
ences of a personal nature, and then
having the whole group take part IN
the discussion.
Therefore, I hope that those in
charge of this 'In-Service" School,
will not throw me out for suggest
ing something of this nature during
the time set aside for our discussion
on Public Relations, but will also en-
ter into the subject, and give us the
benefit of their experiences.
/ don't believe that there is ques-
ton in the mind of anyone here, or
any place else, as far as that is con-
cerned, about the importance OF good
public relations in police work
While there isn't definition OF
public relations in your dictionary,
to me it means other folks relation
ships with whatever you are, or do
or say. In other words, you might
say that public relations means try
ing to understand other people as in
diyiduals and groups, and then try
ing to influence them. Some people
would leave out the Influence" idea
or part, but consider it necessary
follow-through.
Publicity, propaganda, and adver-
Using are tools used in public rela-
tons work.
aPublic relations is the manage
ment function which evaluates public
attitudes, identifies the policies and
procedures of an individual or or