before I resigned to become Assistant Secretary of the Navy, the Judge who charged the Grand Jury of New York County was able to congratulate them on the phenomenal decrease in crime, especially of the violent sort.  This decrease was steady during the two years.  The police, after the reform policy was thoroughly tried, proved more successful than ever before in protecting life and property and in putting down crime and criminal vice.

The part played by the recognition and reward of actual personal prowess among the members of the police force in producing this state of affairs was appreciable, though there were many other factors that combined to bring about the betterment.  The immense improvement in discipline by punishing all offenders without mercy, no matter how great their political or personal influence; the resolute warfare against every kind of criminal who had hitherto been able corruptly to purchase protection; the prompt recognition of ability even where it was entirely unconnected with personal prowess—­all these were elements which had enormous weight in producing the change.  Mere courage and daring, and the rewarding of courage and daring, cannot supply the lack of discipline, of ability, of honesty.  But they are of vital consequence, nevertheless.  No police force is worth anything if its members are not intelligent and honest; but neither is it worth anything unless its members are brave, hardy, and well disciplined.

We showed recognition of daring and of personal prowess in two ways:  first, by awarding a medal or a certificate in remembrance of the deed; and, second, by giving it weight in making any promotion, especially to the lower grades.  In the higher grades—­in all promotions above that of sergeant, for instance—­resolute and daring courage cannot normally be considered as a factor of determining weight in making promotions; rather is it a quality the lack of which unfits a man for promotion.  For in the higher places we must assume the existence of such a quality in any fit candidate, and must make the promotion with a view to the man’s energy, executive capacity, and power of command.  In the lower grades, however, marked gallantry should always be taken into account in deciding among different candidates for any given place.

During our two years’ service we found it necessary over a hundred times to single out men for special mention because of some feat of heroism.  The heroism usually took one of four forms:  saving somebody from drowning, saving somebody from a burning building, stopping a runaway team, or arresting some violent lawbreaker under exceptional circumstances.  To illustrate our method of action, I will take two of the first promotions made after I became Commissioner.  One case was that of an old fellow, a veteran of the Civil War, who was at the time a roundsman.  I happened to notice one day that he had saved a woman from drowning, and had him summoned so that I might