422 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

1. That Commissioner Pomerleau was guilty of a substantial error
of judgment in soliciting the assistance of Mr. Howard Muhl, a de-
partmental employee, to secure private contractors to undertake re-
pairs to a residence which the Commissioner was about to purchase.
Any private relationship between employer and employee, particularly
in a quasi-military organization, tends to encourage extraordinary
efforts to please for the obvious reason of improving the employee's
status. Therefore, the Commissioner should not have involved Mr.
Muhl in his private problems.

2. The report convinces me that the Commissioner was at no time
interested in obtaining anything of value at the expense of the City
of Baltimore. He was clearly willing and able to pay the fair costs
of services and materials utilized. I am equally convinced that he had
no knowledge that police employees were working on his private
property, as the record specifically shows that this was done contrary
to his express instructions.

3. I am concerned about the loose accounting practices which the
Attorney General's report reveals, and even more concerned to learn
of the inaccurate and noncurrent time records of police employees.
It is vitally important that these matters be tightened and brought to
standard immediately. To this end, I would expect an early advisory
report from the City Auditor and a clear and definitive statement of
record reforms from the Commissioner himself.

4. The improprieties which have actually been committed rest
for the most part on the shoulders of Mr. Howard Muhl. Nonetheless
I find myself somewhat sympathetic to his position because most of
his troubles result from a desire to be helpful to his superior. Inas-
much as he is a departmental employee, I do not reach a determina-
tion of his case. Such must be left to the appropriate departmental
authorities.

The above recited conclusions result from a thorough consideration
of the Attorney General's report. I commend the Attorney General
and the members of his staff involved for an excellent and compre-
hensive investigation.

Commissioner Donald D. Pomerleau is hereby censured and it is
directed that a copy of this report become part of his personnel file.
Because of the Commissioner's excellent record in the service of Balti-
more City and the State of Maryland, no further action will be taken
in this matter.