The Thankless Job of the Police Commissioner
Dr. A. N. Marion steps down as Seattle Police Commissioner, citing a lack of remuneration and the crushing pressure of civic complaints.
Dr. A. N. Marion resigned as police commissioner yesterday, effective December 31, citing that the work is uncongenial and interferes with his private business. 'It is all work and worry and no pleasure or remuneration,' Marion remarked. Mayor Ronald, who accepted the resignation, noted that there is significant confusion regarding whose term expires by law on January 1, with Commissioner J. N. Wallingford also expected to depart. The Board of Police Commissioners has faced mounting public pressure, particularly regarding the city's ongoing gambling situation and the 'Kent matter,' leading to high turnover and public frustration.
“It is all work and worry and no pleasure or remuneration.”
The churn of civilian oversight and the public's intense, often contradictory demands on the police department are a perennial feature of Seattle city politics. Marion's complaint of 'all work and worry and no remuneration' echoes the modern reality of the immense political burnout experienced by those tasked with balancing civic reform and public safety.
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