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

clrcumspect our actions so that
everyone will be anxious to coop
crate with the good things we at
tempt to do.
1t has been my policy to follow up
every suggestion, as well as every
complaint placed before me, with
personal attention, regardless of how
trivial it might seem.
As as example: We have been
taking the men on different shifts to
the basement of our market house,
where we have makeshift pistol
range, feeling that no one would hear
it. But just last week, at 10 min
utes of three in the morning, l re-
ceived call, wanting to know if
was. aware that there was shooting
going on around the center of town,
which, of course, is against our city
ordinance. This party was very
much distressed that it should go on
incidentally it has been going on
all summer, and this was the first
complainD, but I explained what we
were doing, and while he would not
give me his name, he did calm down,
and said to Skip it" and then asked
Would you mind if a good Demo-
crat would make an observations" l
said that l did not see that it made
any difference what his politics
were, if he had something to say I'd
listen to it. His answer was: 81
know that you are a Republican.
To this replied that there were no
politics in my Department, nor did
they have any bearing on anything
we did He then said: "Well, l just
want you to know that l think your
Police Department is doing a swell
job, and 1 am pleased that you stand
back of your officers in anything that
they do"
Maybe this is a little thing, and
silly to bring up here, but it makes
me feel good to know that the public
is interested in our work, and that
even a complaint call can turn into
a compliment before the conversa-
ton is terminated.
While our city is not too large
36,181 population according to 1850
census-it takes a great deal of time
to follow up all complaints, and pos
sibly this would seem impractical
with large departments, yet l am
convinced that this attitude on my
part has been one of the best con-
tributing factors in instilling in
every member of our Department
the desire to work for the best inter
ests of our citizens, and l also feel
that it is one of the main reasons
that we have good public relations
between our Police Department and
the citizens of our community.
The press and the public are both
generally prepared to support any
public official, or department, when
they undertake to give honest and
impartial treatment to everyone.
With this attitude, the public
learns in due time of our efforts, and
credit will come to the Department,
which will be all the remuneration
we need for our efforts in proper
endorsements of the law.
When changes of policy are made,
or matters of major Importance come
up, it is essential to make press and
radio releases. They should be Civ
en- in typed statements, as this elimi-
mates any possibility of misunder-
standings, due to being misquoted.
It is just as easy to have these re-
leases come out properly, as incor-
rectly, and this prevents the neces-
sity of trying to correct improper
impressions that easily develop
when there is not a proper quotation,
or Interpretation of release.
One thing I have always kept
away from doing, and that is an
swering letters, editorials, or large
or petty sniping, camoufaged as
news stories that occasionally de-
velop in newspapers, as once you
stick your neck out, you are head
ing for trouble. True, l have issued
statements, when the time was
propitious, to correct a misunder-
standing, but always ignore stories
that are sometimes written with a
view of getting a. rise out of some
one, and this policy seems to have
paid off in big dividends in our work.
1t seems to be the attitude of many
people to have a chip on their
shoulder whenever they see any law
enforcement officers, and to be an
tagonistic towards these officers.
Therefore, anything that is done to
show that we are working with, and
for, the public, will tend to break
down this barrier.
And now a word about the vexed
questions of parking tickets.
To begin with let me state that the
first thing I corrected when I took
L.