The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-03-22
Preventive Police-No. 2.


The report to which we alluded in our last num-
Der, drawn up, it is understood, by Mr. Benedict,
presents in strong colors the evils which we ut pre-
sent suffer
The ordinances of the city and the laws of the state
habitusIly violated with inpunity The property
Of the citizen pfered almost before his eyes Dwell
and snnnrert cooness and csreIessness If dsae,;cn
which shows that none safe. Thronged city
it, men robbed in the street. Thousands that
arrested 80 uapunished and the defenceess and the
beautiful ravshed and murdered in the daytime and
of the criminal is ourd. The man Of busisess
city is slaughtered in the sunshine and packed up and
sent away by the most public and known channels Of
trade, and suspicion is hardly excited
What frlghttul picture does this present 10 oar
view! yet maintain that our citizens are peace
loving that they are deeply and devotedly attached
TO their Institutions, and VIC uld willingly make any
sacrifice to see then, administered with justice and
purity; but engaged as they are IN the daily and
barras.ing tolls Of life, they have trusted too much
that the future would correct what the past has ex-
posed, without knowing or rejecting that the sys-
tenn police now IN operanon places me commu-
nifty at the mercy of the profigate and abandoned,
and thereby offers the strongest temptations for the
commission OF crime
The fire department has become source of 20
much mischief and disorder, aud has so fallen In
public estimation, that ii is deprived in great mea-
sure of the usefulness that once characterized il.
Nightly brawls and quanes, the conversion of en-
CINE houses into places for holding orgies Of the
most revolving CHdtdcteI, anu tue nSOlual ViuatlOn
of all law, have so degraded distinct and neces-
sary department of the city government, that its
members regarded as enemies of the peace Of
the community whose property they were organ
lied to protect Many a heart broken father and
widowed mother have dated the sorrows which
have brought their gray hairs 10 the grave to the
abomnable associations connected with this branch
Of our municipal system. Let our citizens look to
it, for upon them. after all, rests he responsibility
Nor is the police department free from serious OBJ
jecflons, affecting, perhaps, rather lis plan OF al
Iangement than It's administration. Stool pigeon
ing, extra rewards TO stimulate officers to the dis
charge OF sworn duties, and Other disgrscefu expe-
diens, are constantly in operation and no effort s
made 10 add to the functions Of this branch the duty
Of preventing crime, service tar more important
than the correction Ct abuses after they have been
committed.
The committee, after stating their thorough con-
vcton Of the made quacy Of The present ~ stem TO
| aford any security against the increase OF crime,
anG their belief that The public voice Gale loudly
for an entire and radical reform ia our police pro-
coed TO give the result Of their labors, which they
conceive should be the basis Of the improved organ-
zation some OF the prominent points OF which will
De pointed ont in our succeeding number.
REroRh