buyer's guide - San Francisco Police Officers Association

Page 8 POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS' JOURNAL April - May, 1957
Arrest Not Always Best Course
When does a policeman issue a warning or give a piece of advice rather than make an arrest? That's the burning question
in far-off Australia. It seems the Police Commissioner urges "go slow" to the force but that his admonition is being
"undermined" by "Officers-in-charge of Divisions" in the state of New South Wales. Read it as it appeared in the Police
Association News. Then figure if it has happened to you! Here's the Editorial:
The Police Commissioner has often
gone on record as saying that Police
should exercise a great deal of discretion
and common sense in their dealings with
the public. He has counselled young Police
that frequently a warning graciously
given to a motorist and perhaps to others,
could have the desirable result. That the
good record of a Policeman is not earned
by penalising the public for trivial offences,
but to the contrary could be harmful
and could adversely affect public relations.
The Police Association backs the Commissioner's
viewpoint and congratulates
him for endeavouring to foster goodwill
and good relations. However, there is a
fear that the Commissioner's policy is
being undermined.
It has become a practice for Officers-incharge
of Divisions to call upon all Police
to submit reports, setting out the number
of breach reports that they had submitted
and also the number of arrests made during
the previous month.
Young Police, especially, who have
heard their Commissioner tender advice
as stated, must be bewildered with the
set-up.
It appears that, as has happened in the
past, a form of intimidation is being used
to boost UIJ the numbers of arrests made
and breach reports submitted. Naturally,
a Policeman who is asked for the above
details would feel that his O.I.C. was
looking for breaches. That his Officer was
warning him to get busy with his pencil
Knight Motor Co.
HUDSON - Sales and Service
E. C. KNIGHT
GARDEN 3-1490
503 PACIFIC AVENUE
SANTA CRUZ, CALIF.
Compliments of a
FRIEND
and notebook.
Police are also resentful of the Officers'
instructions to submit reports.
Police are already overburdened with
duties, mainly because of a SEVERE
SHORTAGE OF STAFF. They can ill
afford time to submit USELESS RE-
PORTS AND, PERHAPS, FURTHER
REPORTS, as to why they had not submitted
a quota of breaches of the Traffic
Act and Regulations, etc.
It would appear, however, that there
may be too many Inspectors in the Force
and that jobs just have to be found for
them. They would, indeed, require a great
deal of time to peruse and otherwise deal
with reports rendered by each member of
their staffs.
Police should not be expected to wage
war on motorists and others by taking action
when a word of advice would suffice.
The public rave enough restrictions without
a "get tough" policy.
Individual members of the Service are
JIM WATKINS
COMPANY
Cauliflower
Growers and Shippers
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JUST-UP - TRIM-RITE
Phone 4-6325
P. 0. BOX 838
WATSON VILLE,
CALIFORNIA
sworn to do their duty as Constables and
will do so according to their own judgment.
They need no spurring and there should
be none.
If the Commissioner's policy stands he
will surely prevent a repetition of the foregoing
practice.
Universal Canning
Machinery Co.
Exhaust Boxes, Coolers, Sterilizers,
Blanchers, Conveyors
Complete Fish Canning
Lines
R. B. BENTLEY
Canning Engineer - Fisheries
Consultant
Shop Phone: FR 5-5476
119 Dewey Avenue
Pacific Grove, California
Mail Address:
762 BAYVIEW AVENUE
Telegraph Code: "Universal"
PACIFIC GROVE, CALIF.
Pioneer Bakery
Birthday and Wedding Cakes
Best French and Italian Bread
500 POLK STREET
MONTEREY, CALIF.