Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 282, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 November 1919 — FAT POLICEMAN IS DISAPPEARING [ARTICLE]

FAT POLICEMAN IS DISAPPEARING

New York Officers Who Fail to Keep Fit Labeled Incompetent. MUSJ BE TRAINED ATHLETES Gotham School for Policemen Uses Same System of Training as Is Employed at West 'Po i nt— Schooling Is Thorough. New York.—The day of the flat--footed. obese copper is waning. The New York department dflicials label all men who 'do not keep themselves in proper physical and mental condition as incompetent, and as a result the last decade has witnessed a change in the Eastern city’s policejnen who, instead of being impediments to themselves and the force, are athletes, abld to run when they have Jo catch a criminal. In the Inspection of the New York police system, the aldermen of the Chicago city council police committee, who have been cherishing a dream of. “establishing a police college in Chicago, learned several vital particulars in which the training of policemen for the Chicago department Can be improved. The details of the operation of the school v?ere gleaned from; Inspector James’OTirien, who, despite his youthful appearance, has been a member of the department for 27 years. In demonstrating the agility his own system of physical training, has given him, the inspector stood stiff-kneed and put his clenched fists against the floor. No Value Unless Physically Fit. “No policeman is of value to the department unless he is physically fit,” said the inspector. ‘The system of training in school is the same as that employed in West Point, including boxing, wrestlings jiu jitsu, wall climbing, the proper method of walking. the manual of arms. and target practice. “No candidate can take the course until he has first passed mental and physical examination. He is then placed on probation for six months, three months of which Is spent in school. Aside from bodily training the men are given Intensive courses in first aid to the injured and instruction in the laws, ordinances and regulations

of both city and state. Experts in the department are assigned to give lectures on their subjects, including detection of crime, the operations of criminals, anarchists and bolsheviki. Given Incentive. of time in the school 18 none too long to learn all that a policeman should knoyy whe& he undertaken the" task of becoming the public’s protector. Prior to graduation the records .each man Jias made in all studies are Carefully gone over, and the highest man is awarded a regulation revolver. This is an incentive for them to do their best in school. “After the preliminary schooling the ordinances of the city provide that the commanding officers of each precinct continue the instruction of officers, and every day a few minutes is devoted to calisthenics umjpr the leadership of a sergeant. "The transformation from fat officers to athletes in the New York department has been going on fQr ten .vears. Every possible encouragement is given the policeman to keep in firstclass condition.”