Evening star., 1961-08-06
STEWART
Civil Service Rules
Cover Chiefs Job

the department. the same au-
thority over its men and the
same promotion machinery as
the Metropolitan Police De-
partment has.
Chief Stewart, interviewed
last week, said he is still fight
ing for legislative action recon-
mended in a special study in
1857. This legislation, which
has now been introduced in
both Houses, would give the
department its own trial board.
The board would hear COM
and have him certify that the
man was incapable Of duty.
The officer would then take
the policeman's gun and badge
and send him home. But the
policeman could report to work
the next day or even later in
the same tour of duty and go
back to work. Under Civil
Service rulings he could then
remain on duty pending a deci-
sion Of Interior Department Of
ficials. This takes weeks, and
sometimes months, the chief
said.
Would Be Suspended
In other departments, Chief
Stewart said, the man would be
suspended pending q trial board
hearing. The hearing could be
called within days because it
consists Of police officials, he
said.
One patrolman on the Chiefs
team put it this way, II could
go right up and tell the chief
off to his face, and he couldn't
do anything about it,"
Another problem, the chief
said, is that any officer can
file charges against him or any
supervisor to higher authority.
If the charges prove false,
nothing happens. In other po-
lice departments. the chief said,
any officer can file charges,
but II they prove to be without
foundation, that officer finds
himself in trouble.
But the disSension in the de-
partment seems to 60 much
deeper. The men aligned
against the chief say that he is
arbitrary in approving promo
tions and making duty assign
ments.
This results because promo
ton of Observation-Disclosures
ant and above-men is not the
result of examinations. These
men are screened by a board
appointed by the chief, and are
approved on the basis of their
records and other criteria.
Screened by Board
Assignment of men to the
hazard-pay jobs of motorcycle
and horseback patrol is made in
about the same way. The men
are screened by a board, put
into training, and then the
board and the training super
visors decide which men will
receive permanent assignment.
Chief Stewards enemies on
the force say that they have
the names of many men who
have been the victim Of pre-
ferential treatment.
In 1857, Sergt. John M. Gya-
KUN, who at that time had
been on the force for II years,
complained to the Interior De-
partment and in the courts
that he had been passed over
for promotion because he had
been critical of Chief Stewart.
The court restrained the
chief from promoting other
men until the Gyakum case
was settled. Finally District
Court and the Court Of Appeals
ruled in favor Of the chief.
Chief Stewart uses other ex-
amples, however, to show how
his control over the force is
hampered by present regula-
tions. He said that several
years ago, a park policeman
was charged with homicide in
the shooting Of another man,
but regulations forced the de-
partment to keep the officer
on duty . with his weapon
available - pending a final
hearing.
Cause Of DiSsensi0n
Veteran observers of the per-
petual park police problem"
say that the organization of
the force under inadequate
rules must be one major cause
for the disSension. They note
that park policemen are chosen
by the same examinations and
from the same list used to pick