EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 23, 1877_.
_To the House of Representatives_:
I return herewith House bill (No. 4350) to abolish the board of
commissioners of the Metropolitan police of the District of Columbia and
to transfer its duties to the Commissioners of the District of Columbia,
without my approval.
It is my judgment that the police commissioners, while appointed by the
Executive, should report to and receive instructions from the District
Commissioners. Under other circumstances than those existing at present
I would have no objection to the entire abolition of the board and
seeing the duties devolved directly upon the District Commissioners.
The latter should, in my opinion, have supervision and control over the
acts of the police commissioners under any circumstances; but as recent
events have shown that gross violations of law have existed in this
District for years directly under the eyes of the police, it is highly
desirable that the board of police commissioners should be continued in
some form until the evil complained of is eradicated and until the
police force is put on a footing to prevent, if possible, a recurrence
of the evil. The board of police commissioners have recently been
charged with the direct object of accomplishing this end.
Pages:
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876
877
878