St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1963-06-27
Mayor Naftalin's Views
On Police & Chief
Walling's Actions

Mayor Arthur Naftaln has suggested possibly
In response to plea for better screening of police
candidates and better training for all police In the
field of human relations, that Minneapolis police
represent cross-secton Of the population so far as
prejudice is concerned.
We do not consider this good excuse for police
prejudice. On the contrary we consider it serious
indictment of civil service screening and police
training.
Are these same policemen typical Of the average
citizen in their ability to gun? In their ability
to club? In their physical provinces in dealing
with wrong doors? In their knowledge Of the techni
calites of the law Of arrest, and of the criminal
law in general? In their knowledge Of first aid?
OF course not. A civil service recruiting system
and police training system that would produce
such averages would be thrown out the window
fast.
The human relations aspect of police work has
always been important and neglected. Today it
is more important than ever before-in part (but
only in par because of the Negroes belated nation
wide militancy in demanding recognition as first
class citizens. We recognize that many Negroes will
have chips their shoulders" sometimes justified
and sometimes not in their relations with the po-
lice 1t seems to us that maybe some of the Mime
apolis police carrying bigger chips"
1t is also obvious that some of the police are in
open revolt against their Chief the mild dis
culinary policy being followed by Wallng in respect
to human relations They have openly defied his
discipline and directly disobeyed his orders
At this point, community action of some kind
is called for The city cannot afford police depart
ment that is not subject to the discipline of its
superior officers 1t cannot afford police depart
ment that is openly contemptuous of community
policy 1t to us that this contempt was pretty
well displayed when the police desk accepted and
Ia 70
out the disciplinary action taken against offend
ing policeman.
If the Mayor does not wish to act in this mat
ter, perhaps he should name a committee of COM
munity leaders to investigate and recommend &C
ton We feel sure that most thoughtful citizens will
agree with us, and disagree with the Mayor, that
something serious is wrong with the departments
discipline and its human relations training and
screening program.
After the above editorial was written we re-
ceived news that Chief Pat Walling had meted out
a ten day suspension to Northsde Station Captain
Kenneth Moore, for allowing collection Of funds
for suspended patrolman David Cunis to continue at
the station despite the chiefs orders that such col
lection be suspended.
This defiance of the chiefs orders-a slap at
his suspension by certain police officers called
to his attention by this paper of whose reporters
had checked the situation, and found the collection
still in progress-several days after the chief had
issued his order
Captain Moore is very popular police officer
in the Northside who himself served chief
for over a year. If he says he misunderstood
Chief Walings order it still queer to us that
he would not see that the action going on under his
very eyes open defiance of the disciplinary
action of Chief Walling. Having served chief
himself Captain Moore, ought to have been more
alert to the problems any Minneapolis police CHIEF
has under the system which makes the job politi-
cal football every two years.
Waling, police executive who tries to be fair
to his officers and is loath generally to take harsh
disciplinary action should have the support of the
right thinking citizens Of Minneapolis in his latest
act Of suspending Captain Moore and reprimanding
Northside supervisory personnel. His action
justifies the confidence this newspaper has had In
him through the years.