Show Lets Let's Not Forget Civil Service Was alas Established in the Public Interest We Ve seem sm to be bl having a lot of trouble with civil service supervision over law lass enforcement agencies es in Utah First we had the Salt Lake City civil service commission the city of failing failing failing fail fail- ing to coordinate functions of the civil service commission with the city com com- mission I Then we had a ruling handed down by Judge Baker of Third di district court which upset a Salt Lake police department department department depart depart- ment practice of 20 years of giving extra pay to officers assigned as ns plainclothesmen plainclothes plainclothes- men and which held that several police department had been improperly improper improper- ly appointed to their jobs without consideration consideration consideration con con- for civil service regulations The suit had been brought by the civil service commission Lastly the chairman of the state highway highway highway high high- way patrol civil service commission charged in a letter to the governor that civil service regulations applicable to the patrol had been circumvented in several respects Plainly there has been conflict and confusion in the operation of civil service service service ice supervision over law enforcement agencies In both Salt Lal Lake e City and Utah Ve We are not going to criticize in this editorial the civil service commissions or orthe orthe orthe the elective or appointive directors of the two law enforcement agencies con con- But we think the disputes do present an excellent opportunity for a afew afew afew few statements of general policy regarding regarding regarding regard regard- ing police agencies and civil service commissions In the first place it should be clear that civil service has been established in the public interest not in the interest of policemen or highway patrolmen or of police chiefs or superintendents or of politicians or other public officials The public interest is the important thing thing and and the public interest is in efficient efficient efficient effi effi- law enforcement The reason we had civil service in instituted instituted instituted in- in was because the old spoils system system system tem with its frequent changes of police personnel led to graft and corruption in incompetence incompetence incompetence in- in competence and inefficiency It was believed believed be be- ed police personnel should be protected protected protected pro pro- from political interference and that they should be selected and promoted promoted promoted pro pro- on the basis of merit and not on the basis of either political influence or personal favoritism On the other hand there was no Intention Intention in intention In- In to so hamstring and circumscribe administrative control that there would be no effective direction of a law enforcement enforcement enforcement enforce enforce- ment agency The public interest in efficient efficient efficient effi effi- operations obviously would not want that The civil service system was not designed designed de dc- de- de signed to supplant official administration tion but to work with it And it must work with it or it cannot possibly fulfill its real purpose of raising police efficiency efficiency efficiency effi effi- in the public interest The recent indication that there has not been the proper cooperation between between between be be- tween civil service commissions and official official official of of- administrators is therefore ble But perhaps these explosions will clear the air and lead to a better understanding understanding understanding under under- standing all around We Ve hope so All concerned should after all remember that they are arc really working toward the same goal of better public service They ought to work toward it together |