Police Administration

Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV PROVISION OF PERSONNEL?ITS SELECTION AND TRAINING THE charter provides that the police force shall consist of a chief of police and “”such officers, patrolmen, and other employees as may be provided by ordinance or resolution of the council.””1 In accordance with this provision, the city council determines what is known as the “”authorized”” number of police for each rank, from the rank of patrolman to inspector of police. The appointing authority is not compelled to recruit the force up to the authorized strength. He cannot, however, make appointments in excess of the number set by councilmanic action. The task of recruiting the force belongs to the civil service commission, original entrance to the department being by competitive examination. Actual appointments are made by the director of public safety from eligible lists certified by the civil service commission. An analysis has been made of the original appointments to the department from 1914 up to and including the first two months of 1921, to determine the type of men who are drawn into police service. Particular attention has been given the appointments made in 1914 and 1921, since more nearly normal conditions prevailed in those years. The period between these two years presented unusual circumstances. Just prior to this countrys entry into the war competition with industry seriously affected police recruiting, and from 1917 until after the completion of demobilization the scarcity of applicants made it difficult to keep up the authorized strength of the department. As a result, considerable modification of the standards governing entrance requirements was necessary. By 1921, however, conditions were normal in respect to the number of persons making application for police appointment. Previous Occupa…