216 The New York Police Force 



to offend. The morale of the entire force improved 

 steadily. 



A similar course was followed in reference to the 

 relations between the police and citizens generally. 

 There had formerly been much complaint of the 

 brutal treatment by police of innocent citizens. This 

 was stopped peremptorily by the simple expedient of 

 dismissing from the force the first two or three men 

 found guilty of brutality. On the other hand, we 

 made the force understand that in the event of any 

 emergency requiring them to use their weapons 

 against either a mob or an individual criminal, the 

 police board backed them up without reservation. 

 Our sympathy was for the friends, and not the foes, 

 of order. If a mob threatened violence we were 

 glad to have the mob hurt. If a criminal showed 

 fight we expected the officer to use any weapon that 

 was necessary to overcome him on the instant; and 

 even, if it became necessary, to take life. All that 

 the board required was to be convinced that the ne- 

 cessity really existed. We did not possess a particle 

 of that maudlin sympathy for the criminal, disor- 

 derly, and lawless classes which is such a particu- 

 larly unhealthy sign of social development; and 

 we were bound that the improvement in the fighting 

 efficiency of the police should go hand in hand with 

 the improvement in their moral tone. 



To break up the system of blackmail and corrup- 

 tion was less easy. It was not at all difficult to pro- 

 tect decent people in their rights, and this was ac- 

 complished at once. But the criminal who is black- 



