Show MOBE POLICE DEPARTMENT COMPLICATIONS On the 14th ult the city council passed the following ordinance pro Ividingr 1 JrThat on and after the first < Jay of January 1898 the office of chief of police po-lice of Salt Lake City is hereby abolished abol-ished and upon said date the police and fire departments of said city shall consist of the number of officers men and employees now upon the rolls of said departments respectively with the exception of said chief of police and on and after said first day of January 1SS8 said officers and men shall have and exercise all the powers and authority au-thority now conferred by law and ordinance or-dinance upon constables and police officers of-ficers in Salt Lake City This ordinance shall take effect at midnight on the 31st day of December 1897 This ordinance was approved by Mayor Glendinning on the IGth ult and his approval filed with the city recorder a day or so later The object of the ordinance was to abolish the office of chief of police and when his honor approved it it was with the understanding un-derstanding that it did abolish it else why did he approve it for he was familiar fa-miliar with the intention of the author of the ordinance and of those who voted for it On Friday last the last day of the year Mayor Glendinning addressed the following to the police department Salt Lake City Utah Dec 31 1897 To the Police Department of Salt Lake City GentlemenYou are probably aware that the board of police and lire commissioners com-missioners of this city expires by limitation lim-itation of law at 12 oclock tonight and that at the same time midnight the police and fire departments come under the immediate direction and supervision super-vision of the mayor by virtue of his position as chief executive That there may be no misunderstanding misunderstand-ing among you as to who shall be entitled en-titled to command the police force until otherwise provided by proper authority au-thority I hereby appoint Sergeant Matt Rhodes to the position of acting chief of said department with full power and authority to exercise all the functions func-tions of said office as provided by law The subordinate officers and men of said department will obey and respect him accordingly Respectfully JAMES GLENDINNING Mayor Two important questions present themselves If the ordinance passed by the city council on December 14 1S97 and which was approved by the mayor a couple of days later abolished the office of chief of police where does his honor get authority to appoint Sergeant Matt Rhodes to the position of acting chief of the police departmentZ If the said ordinance did not abolish the office of chief of police why did his honor approve it for it left the department depart-ment precisely as it was before the ordinance was introduced and assed It seems that the city is bound to have a police muddle no matter what I else it may have ExChief Pratt is advised that he holds over notwithstanding notwith-standing the repeal of the law creating the office of chief of police and he will no doubt make a demand for the office and if refused will undertake to enforce en-force it in the courts That means a law suit and more expense for the taxpayers tax-payers Sergeant Rhodes will no doubt make a fight for the head of the police department by virtue of his present position and Mayor Glendinnings appointment ap-pointment If Mayor Clark shall nominate nom-inate as head of the police department someone who has been in no way involved in-volved 1n the Quarrels of the department depart-ment it is quite probable that he also will run up against a law suit The people are sick and tired of police po-lice department quarrels and it is the duty of the new administration to rid the people of them if possible even if it shall be necessary to have an absolutely abso-lutely new force all around |