Murphy Tells of Measures For Halting Police Corruption

New York City Police Commissioners Patrick V. Murphy outlined measures he has taken to halt police corruption in an informal meeting with students yesterday at the Law School's Center for Criminal Justice.

"I have dismissed more policemen in these fourteen months than any other commissioner back to the time of Prohibition," said Murphy, a key witness in the recent Knapp Commission hearings on police corruption.

Murphy cited the establishment of a principle of accountability among precinct commanders as one of the positive measures he had initiated. Formerly, a fifty mean Internal Affairs Department handled all corruption cases for the 30,000 man New York City force.

Now precinct commanders must file charges and recommend punishments as well as bear responsibility for incidents of corruption among their men. Although Murphy did not specify the extent of this responsibility, he did say that police chiefs might lose their commands and be demoted in certain cases.

"People in organized crime are able to offer large bribes," said Murphy, pointing particularly at those involved in gambling operations. He said that greater care was now being taken in the training and evaluation of personnel, and that he had made a personal appeal to businessmen at a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce to stop offering gratuities to policemen.

Expressing his views on a number of other issues. Murphy called overcrowded and poorly administrated courts a major problem for law enforcement officials.