New-York daily tribune., 1843-01-31
OUR CITY POLICE.
Report Of Robert Taylor, Esq-

OF regulated .ysieIn of Police or The city, aud hsYe
nterctaop. oojaons with him The oi accom-
pssiug he reform which ali good citizens erdenly desire
and earnestly demand. have not Jointly committed o.r
vie wriing and has beer efroaeoasy Supposed
,ha, we had arranged plzB, and agreed ali lhe de,a
necessary II IN operatlop-aoc or otter ressCn-Fe
hav. n respond 10 your resolution individuality
deferred submitting communication the suo
ect, until the present Tine with the nope o. being able 10
reses; nv views fDIly bpt as the shor intervals Of time
have been relieved from active Gcal duties have bee de-
voted under The direction OF the Officers OF The state and
City Governments the examination o. The Intricate ac-
counts which extend through several years am under The
Necessity o. giving brief abs imperfect reply 10 yorT
resolution And as Is very generally admitted that our
prevention ofcrme and destitute OF the important prI
cipes which should form the bass OF Police sr dee
Heterogeneous population Of 1000 shali repeat
statements OF others advance my views
aiion TO exag defects eIcep! so lar may be necessary
in oonsd ering what improvement, in The Police DEPART
OF The city required by The and interests OF
the citizens" which subject entertain the following
opinions:
l The Police Department should be so organized IS to
be in operation without inieTmssion, for the .evces CT It's
members may be required Al any time. At present he nsi
chreh Tie only who required 10 patrol
the streets e1cep, few Sunday scerS and Day Police
officers, OF The wards and notorious thai most
Of shopiing, stealing from balls OF hoz and ne
pasug OF counterfeit money, in the evening before
the stchuen go cuy and ourglarieS and ROBBIE
committed near the time they leave iear pss IN
the npg and this stale OF things w cootinue so long
The present system permitted 10 exist for while ihsre
stated periods when neither atchen Dor poiice ON
GERS are on duv, opportunities then afforded % AVOID
detection, and the commission OF offences natural con
sequence point occurred recently, and as II
striking illustration, take ne liberty menuon Il Eariy
The morning OF the I'D nstaHt two houses IN IhrdSeet
between the Second Avenue and The Bowery were bur
giarory entered valuable articles stolen therefrOn,
and oil the houses clothes 10 closet were set
on re bu as The cendiars fortunately closed the closet
door III. FIRE soudered and expired all tins was done by
the offenders unose-ved and Of them or the stolen
properly has been discovered yet that street. and
aa5ning the row of buildings where the burglaries
and laIcenies committed and arson ihere
/ Is a 81 - rwachhoose, and also police Office.
II may be well state proof Of the Utter want OF
prdnape which restes TO the tine acben shall be on
d,,, lo
nights ahd the whole matter has been eil Win the cap
OF the watch, who may keep them on DUTY al such
times al night they may consider most necessary, o!
hnd 10 convenient; and although they have gene-
ally directed hsr men 10 go on duy al The same non on
the districts regard has been paid 10 uniformity
the ot the several companies leaving their pests Ia
he morning.
SANITY stationed in parts e the city, that Their services
may be obtained wherever, well as whenever reqnred
duties Many instances nigh, cited of eons being per-
escape, because the police Office was far distant
arrest or were unwilling spend their hazard
their lives arreng offenders and conveying them TO The
police office. Besides the presence OF pNhce oicer al
the time place dsordery condnc, commenced wood
often the commission OF acts that would bot tor his
presence lead serious results and police officers
should therefore, possess the 10 make themselves
known such any time but with all due oe!ereace Tor
the opinions OF others there should be nothing their gen.
erai appearance 10 indieaie their or uans
gressors would thereby have decided advantage and
would assuredy exercise il they could observe an odcer
and weud embrace The opportunity afforded by Temporal
y absence from portion of his district, TO commit depre
| daiions.
This brapch OF the subject is important in another point
view; certainty of police officers being en- duty
throughout the city, without being designated As such
would have tendency to deter persons particularly the
Young from deval!Dg from the path OF reciiiude ana
would prevent the first commission OF petty offence,
which, perpetra,ed and repeated. wonld lead to career
calculated eventually TO transform the und delinquent INTO
| hardened villain.
According 70 the present arrangement, il is the duty OF
Police officers attend daily the Police Offices, and,
however grea, be the emergency which requires her
presence and service al Harlem or The Battery at The Dry
Dock Greenwich in any other part OF the city, appl'
be MADE the Halls Of Justices, IN Centre
street, The Upper Police Office on the corner OF bird
the Bowery, and then there no certainly
of procuring the assistance sought for When the officers
performed their duties for the day. by waiting al the
Police Office or otherwise, they proceed public e1hbi-
ons public balls private parties to fulfil their engage
officers, they spend their lime in any way their
interests quire or incnaens lead them ,ey will not
themselves the service OF the public wLeui COM
pensz;ion have hi 10 expect them 10 do So
Sd The members of the Police Department, should not
be permitted to engage in any other business than tat al
iotted the department There Is no part OF tbs
Whole subject suscep ibe OF demonstration than this
but wan, of will admit OF elaborate argument, and
the following mus; suffice for the present: The
knowledge necessary for Police officer TO posses OF par
cpar places and persons and OF the ruaTous
schemes for committing offences and the resort
avoiding detection only be acquired by close
and application ~ The hcsneSs OF the Polce de-
and he character and useulnaSs OF The depart.
nen, as well as the public good require Police officers
should be continually under the direction OF iher superior
oces and NOT be permitted 10 nnge and associate with
classes OF persons ndscrimnateiy 10 resort, at will
all kinss places and would be extreme
dasreeabe mention particular cases which show The
p,opriety and pecessiiy OF adopting the rule here
mended Let suffice thai Il Is our duty 10 guard against
| what n.en may do.
As long as the wa,cbmen for night snd the Police Off
GERS for day constitute departments both VIII
he mis-. raby deficient tor ali the purposes which Po
Ii ce required. The psy received by wachmen IS not
suicen, or The maintenance Of their families, and those
OF who labor hard during the day and thereby be-
much agued, the most suitable persons tor
watchmen while those who lounge about In Tie Daytime
very improper persons FOR The duty BIT however sni
able persons be who the watch they mus:
leave their posts stated times IN The morning 20 pursue
iseir ordinary Business whatever benefit might reu, from
fba 1Ipyp
have received OF threatened or anticipated depFeda-
TONS seRdeEed useless BY their not having edsie sue
ceSsors whom ihev may municsIe the in!ornailou-
If The whole time o ghc ocers Saond be engaged Ia the
public service their en,iie remuneration ousst 10 De de-
! rived from the public treasury.
.h Police officers should receive their appointment from
persons elected to oce BY The people nor Candidates
there harm 10 making The suggestion here, and
little necessity 70. saiirg Why II IS nlade To guard
agans, the Police officers e-ng all men OF the SAME o
ca. party ther the best II thai party,
and thai improper inhuesce growing oct oi The uahHer
OF their appointment may be exercised over the they
should be appointed by Commissioners 10 be selected Win
special refereoce 10 this and or their kpowleoge, Ia
forsraoee fine duties which devolve upon them
and thai the responsibility mig DOT ee TOO mren dhnsSd
| the number OF Commissioners Should be very limited
5h The city should be divided into distress the
centre OF each Of which there should be ssacRhoue,
with Magistrate In continual attendance The men De
longing stations shopd be able 10 repair To- and return
ror their respective posts II sher space OF Tine and
facility promp,ness with which II would al tunes
De necessary 10 assemble thu Pece force IN sc
lions Of Tie city, would be i1,pacucabc without division
OF ,e city dhcts Indeed without this provision the
foregoing Suggestions could not be adopted no adopt.
| cd, earned into operation
The district sys,e was introduced into the Watch De
partnen, from necessity The nan5rr OF districts
beeu decreased with the increase OF population but his
the only feature OF the department ana an eI-
pose Of me long continued practices al the wachhorses
will cay illustrate the part of the <neecr nov uRceF
conideracn but vii confirm TIE general views herein coz
| tained-
j, IS the duty OF The waehea receive rto hercUs-
tody, teian rnul the rcgnng ans uru osharg
ed o. committed o tie proper authority pesoa ep
prehened and delivered TO them icr any offence whasoey
S-,t,a- - Eanllk L. Atn-nk