The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-01-02

THE NEW YoRK POLICE WHAT 1T Island WHAT
IT CHIT TO BE.-As this subject is now up for
sidera ton before both Boards of Aldermen, and in
: fact by the whole continuity at large, we shall
take this occasion TO show up the whole matter in
its true light, independent of all Political influences,
party interests. Agreat diversity OF opinion ex
lists the subject of police reform-not as TO Its ne
cessity, but the mode of efectng it. Messrs. At
well and Mead, 1of the Board of Assistants, have
admitted one plan Doc. No AZ; Alderman Un-
derwood is ready with another; Alderman Puruy,
we suppose, with another; and, for ought we know,
Alderman Crolius and the rest of the special CON-
mtee with still!another. AT any rate, Mr.. District
(: Attorney Whiting and Justice Taylor, who, in our
opinion with all possible respect the Honorable
the Corp oration-know more about the matter than
all the members Of both Boards put together, are
ready to submit still another plan.
Now in he midst of all these discordant plans and
systems OF reform, propose to show up the facts
In the premise together with few necessary deduc
tons frem them.
In the first place, then, we say the present Police
organization, far it respects the detection, ap
prehenson, and conviction of rogues, system of
bribery and corruption, established, and perretuated
=
city there is certain number of rogues subject from
time to time, to fuctuating increase or decrease,
either indigenous or exotic, as the case may be.
The true province of Pslice, should be 10 detect,
apprehend, and brinfs to conviction, all these rogues
| Now let us see what nducement the laws hold
out to our present Police Officers to effect this de-
lection, apprehension and conviction. We have ex-
amined the law, and find the whole basis on which
rests the bribery and corruption alluded to, to be
summary as follows:-
| FEES
Constables and Marshalls he present police ofcers
| employed in the police Office in the city of New
York. may and for serving every warrant
| or summons
nwi,hin . mile, cents #:
For returning the same when party is sppre-
| hended 81
| For going one mile, l2s
Taking criminal into custody, l21
Conveying him to prison, l23
For going with him to procure security, so
Serving a search warrant.
1.-THE goods are not found, 81 90
| lffound, and they exceed in value $50, not
| to exceed, 2 so
SPECIAL DurY
| When detailed by the day, so
BY night of twelve hours, 200
| Now let us be understood. Incredible as 1t may
appear the face of it, say that the above sche-
due constitutes substantially the basis of the New
York police system in this respect that it comprises
all the inducements held out by the hand of the
law, and all the rewards given or allowed by our
statutes to New York Police Officers for the detec-
ton, apprehension, and conviction of all the thieves
robbers, burglars, swinders, rogues and villains,
who nfest this city. The average of the tariff is
perhaps about two and sxpence-a two-and-six-
penny system; or to be liberal, we will call it
three shilling system Three shillings then, is the
nducement to go and search the city drought to find
| the fba .b,
inducement to risk life and limb to apprehend the
said rogue-and the sane identical, potent three
shiings, is the GROWING Involvement to convict
| him.
To expect success under such police SYSTEM in
eradicatnglcrime, is to expect that your police Off
GERS are going 10 serve apprenticeship of years
in learning the science Of their peculiar business
| for it is both science and art-that they will
then bring their talents to bear upon the detection
of criminas-in theynext place that they exercise
most unusual and extraordinary amount Of philan-
| thropy and regard to public good-which is to re-
suit in the aforesaid risking of life and limb, in
experimenting and convicting the aforesaid rogues.
And all for what consideration Why, forsooth,
for the aforesaid three shillings But does the law
require police officers feel Ia philanthropy, and
regard for public good which in other people would
be deemed weaknessl Does the law allow all
other men to be governed exclusively by motives of
self interest, but require police to be governed
by disinterested benevolence
The grand defect of the present law is its weakness
we might say folly, in presumng that police Off
GERS will act differently from all other men, in that
{ their actions will not be governed by selfinterest
And we might add here, that the community are
often weak enough to blame police officers for not
exercising benevolence and philanthropy which
/ -.lo al Naxry VOL,
police system, then, is built upon the presumption
that its officers will be covered by honesty, integr
ty, benevolence, and philanthfopy-all of which
are necessary its success-and the due reward for
which will be the aforesaid three shillings.
f Still people complain of the ineffciency of the
poce--tha it does not succeed-that rogues multi
ply, and crime increases, and ask, what is the diff
Guilty! Well tell you what the difficulty is-well
raise the inner curain-we'l develope the grand
areanum, and solve the mystery. So here it goes.
1t is four IShiNings. II is public auction-the law
bids three shillings to catch the rogue crime bids
four to let him go and as the law will go high
err the police officer knocks down the rogue to the
highest bidder, and crime walks of with him.
Thus we solve the mystery Here is bribery
and corruption, legalized. Rogues cannot be
caught, so long they able to offer more to go
clear than the law offers to catch them. Let those
without sin the first stone at the police officers
we blame them not They are governed by self
interest-so are all other people.
Thus it appears that crime is made to support the
Police. 1t supports its officers-it sets their table
for them, and gives them their bread-and buffers in
fact, it is their meat. gdrink, and lodging. Abolish
i crime and the police must starve. The more crim
d nals the more bribery and corruption. The more
crime, the more pay. Nor is even this the worst o
n it, for the multiplication Of police officers does but