OCR Text |
Show INVESTIGATORS' REPORT RAKES CHICAGO POLICE FORE AND AFT CHICAGO, March 19. "Thero Is practically no discipline and the force oould hardly be in a worse state." With these words today Capt. Alexander Alex-ander Roes Piper, U. S. A., retired, for- I mer deputy commissioner of tho New York pollco department, who has been ln Chicago for seven weeks investigating investiga-ting tho Chicago police force, electrlllod the members of tho City club. He was making a report of his Investigation, Inves-tigation, which was begun at tho Instance In-stance of tho club as a result of the alleged al-leged undue prevolenco of crime Jn Chicago. Chi-cago. ' According to Capt. Piper's report, the Chicago police are ln a disgraceful condition con-dition of demoralization and inelll-ciency. inelll-ciency. Instead of protecting citizens from criminals, tho memb-trB of tho force arc drinking in saloons, playing slot machines or gossiping on the streets. Patrolmen were accused of taking to their "holes" at every opportunity instead in-stead of walking their beats. Old and incapacitated men were found In "soft snaps," r6bblng tho department of active ac-tive men sorely needed. Open gambling was found by Capt. Piper, hand-books running practically all over tho city. Some of the police station-houses wero asserted to be unfit for uso and a dls-graco dls-graco to tho city. The administration of the criminal laws at tho Harrison street Pollee court were found to bo "moro Ilka mob law than order." Capt. Piper expressed sympathy for the head of tlio Chicago force, and do-ciores do-ciores that Chief O'Nell Is pn honest, overworked man, doing the best he can with tho tools at his command. Pollco Inspectors and sergeants come In for rough handling ln Ihe report. A pollco commission to b appolrtod by the Mayor and to hold ofUce for at least live years at a term, an increase of 2000 moro patrolmen and the weeding weed-ing from tho present force of fully -00 men who aro characterized as too old, incapacitated by bad habits, are Capt. Piper's remedies. |