210 The New York Police Force 



more foolish or vicious law was never enacted by 

 any legislative body. It modeled the government 

 of the police force somewhat on the lines of the 

 Polish parliament, and it was avowedly designed to 

 make it difficult to get effective action. It provided 

 for a four-headed board, so that it was difficult to 

 get a majority anyhow; but, lest we should get 

 such a majority, it gave each member power to veto 

 the actions of his colleagues in certain very im- 

 portant matters; and, lest we should do too much 

 when we were unanimous, it provided that the 

 chief, our nominal subordinate, should have entirely 

 independent action in the most important matters, 

 and should be practically irremovable, except for 

 proved corruption; so that he was responsible to 

 nobody. The Mayor was similarly hindered from 

 removing any Police Commissioner, so that when 

 one of our colleagues began obstructing the work 

 of the board, and thwarting its effort to reform the 

 force, the Mayor in vain strove to turn him out. 

 In short, there was a complete divorce of power 

 and responsibility, and it was exceedingly difficult 

 either to do anything, or to place anywhere the 

 responsibility for not doing it. 



If by any reasonable concessions, if, indeed, 

 by the performance of any act not incompatible 

 with our oaths of office, we could have stood on 

 good terms with the machine, we would certainly 

 have made the effort, even at the cost of sacri- 

 ficing many of our ideals; and in almost any other 

 department we could probably have avoided a 



