The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-08-10

The Report of the Chief OF Police.


commencing with the LIST OF APiil, and ending with
the SOth OF June. 1850.
By referring this report. it will be seen that the
nun Der OF arrests III de during the quarter amount
10 S2l4 Will the whole number OF arrests made dur
ing the previous five months was 10 352. showing
Increase In the number IT arrests OF COS per
month. There has been no comptrauVe increase Of
erin. Of tbe higher grades and tue Increase Ia the
purher OF arrests occurred 10 thas grade OF crimes
known as misd, meanors There have been six hda-
drrd thirty nine complaints made to the Corpora
tioD Attorney, for violations OF The Corporation ordl
naueeF.
During the past three months there have been 23l7
days lot by policemen in consel Of scknes aud
disability while during the previous quarter. the
ber OF days Loot from the same caue $50, show
ing gratifying decrease Of loss OF time
From the return of persons selling intoxicating
drinks il viii be hat the numbsr OF persons
ported as teling without license smouuss to $40.
being increase over the former report of OBS while
the number licensed only amounts to ISl. being
decr.a,e o: COZ compared with the previous report
while the whole number Of persons reported Gu
gsred in the liquor traffic amounts 20 5027 being an
increase former report OF 526 It should be
IN mind that this report was made TO at time
whom the Commissioners OF Excise were engaged in
granting the annual licenses that the exhibit of
the number OF persons sling without license
be relied upon entirely correct, many of these
persons licensed the previous year. and hal not
been able. owing TO the number applying TO get
their licenses renewed
1t also appears that there have been II 059 persons
accommodated with lodgings LA lost children re-
stored 10 their parents l5l persons found sick in
ured in the streets and assisted, AZ persons rescued
from drowning 40 fires exiting uished By members of
this department I96 stores and dwellings fouad open
at night, IS head OF cattle aud 81 horses found
astray and restored 10 their owners and sl22l3 43
taken from drunken persons and dodgers and restored
to them again.
In connection with this rep.rt I deem it my duty
to direct the attention of your Honor to serious and
increasing evil now prevalent along the docks of the
city, and in the waters OF the barbor adjacent there
an evil which has long been subject of solictude
with the department, but which, with the present
means and distribution of material, | have not the
power to abate or even remedy partially. allude to
large and augmenting aggregate OF depreciation by
the river thieves who nfest the ships and harbor
who by means Of the boats with which they are pro-
vded are enabled almost invariably to escaps detec-
ton ana arrest. few statistics relative the i'm.
portance of the great interests much exposed to
future operations and facts Calculating the method
by which the mercantile community is plundered daily
and nightly ard almost with impanity. will doubtless
be lent TO convince your Honor of the nec.ssit
OF some ore efectua system whereby these demoral
ling and injurious practices may be suppressed
The merchant marine tonnage of tue port of New
York Is now far above that Of any other port the
Western Continent and if the present Increase
shall continue in tie ratio for comparatively
able to boast a shipping list so numerous and
river craft so cspacious and extensive Our city Pc
culiary situated for such a result. having an uuob-
sructed water front embracing two sides Of the long
peninsula within corporation limits with facilities
for forming he third the necessities OF bust
During the year Isio the arrivals at the port of New
York. from beyond sea- were three thou .and two
hundred and forty seven, (S2i7 consisting of steam
ers, ships barks brgs and other large craft sides
five thousand seven hundred and seventy three,
6T7@ arrivals in the coast. wise trade This shows a
include the vast number of schooners sloops &c. en-
gagged In the river trade Doubtless the grand total
OF arrivals at our piers from all points would reach
twelve thousand annually, or one thousand vessels per
month
During the first five months the present year. the
imports u New lork were CITY .ons millinus nine
hundred and sixty six thousand HUNDRED aud sew
enty two dollars tjl 9e6s7 while the exports for
same period amounted to eighteen millions nine
hundred and ninety six thousand sight hundred aud
twenty nine dollars (SlS.906 800 and, allowing the
imports and export to be in the same ratio during
he m ind of he inen
would amount 10 nearly one hundred and twenty We
millions OF dollars (sI25 coo0oO) while the exports
would show aggregate ef forty five millions Ave
hundred thousand dollars (si550oOO0) for the twelve
months Here is a total of one hundred and seventy
millions OF dollars. fourteen millions per month
aroat in waters besides the i'm mense val ne OF the
pershable and movable perty belonging the
binary shipping and steam msrine, such as cordage,
chains, bolts, blocks canvass anchors &c liable to
page. day and night, and yet suffer cd continue
without any protection whatever
mense amount Of produce brought to our whsr by
the river craft both sides of the the great
and almost ncalculable quantities Of goods transmit
ted by steamers and railing craft for interior con.
sumption, which would upquestionably swell the
aggregate Of andise exposed to these offering
operations along our docks, to the sum of bvtw een
three and four hundred millions Of dollors per year
showing bat at least, one million dollars worth Of
goods are In ronsu constantly around and upon the
piers and slips within corporation limts-exolusive
Of course Of the value OF the vessels with
their appurtenances which float upon our waters
The authorities Of the city would be- est assuredly
flse to their trusts and wanting their care of the
large commercial interests OF the metropolis. IL
reasonable effort be not attempted to afford an ade.
guatc protection to the vast property thus exposed
The plan which respectfully take the liberty TO sub
nit to your Honor has bee for years now past
under adyisement in this bureau, and Is only called
forth at this present time through the fre
Que ncy OF complaints from the mrrca nj
whose merchandise, am compelled to say. has not,
thus far, received that careful supervision, while
aboard Slip or our piers which the aud
imp ortance Of this branch of prosperity demands
These river thieves their ncfarious operations
With the most systematic Perseverance, and manifest
shrewdness and adroitness which only be attain
ed by long practice and the season Of impunty they
have for years enjoyed
From the best Information have been able to OBJ
tain am led to believe that less than three hun
dred thieves men and boys are engaged in these pill
FIRING forays upon property along the dock; and in
comes amlss, IRON ships anchor to case of sils
goods-a mainsai or bale Of raw cotton. In their
boats. under the cover of night, they prowl around
the wbsrves and vessels In the stream and dexterous
ly snatch mp every piece OF loose property left for
NONE mt unguarded. In conjunction with the com
mon dock thieves, they plan and execute audacious
robberiss in broad and that per must
be sharp one indeed who is not very entrapped
by The cunning Of their confderates to some reis-
tions OF duty sufficient for their unlawfu purposes
All along the line of South street, the East River
oiniiy OF those streets rearsards towards the town
are numbers Of apparently decent people engaged in
he small sroeery business or keeping lower grade
more boats and from these the river thieves
procure the skins ysvis, seows, with which they
rcs and repose. when too deep laden with plund~r
TO escape or when pursued too closely by the police
they heste not to leave their boat load Of booty aud
make their escape in light tender which they usually
have near at hand In case Of such mishap -kno wing
fsl we'll that simultaneously With the public notice OF
the capturs will appear the junk shopman's sdyer-
tscment q his LOGS Of boat the Identical stolen pro-
perry in which he is through their information sns-
bled TO describe and ssear TO- his before
be has seen the articles and that boat aud its con
tents viii be given up to their respectable confederate
a. restoration TO the lawful owner Such case. do
occur and the officers Of the are forced
70 deliver property, certainly stolen, but through
the esssre OF the thieves Themselves pos fbe TO be
traced TO the srot Of depredatonup the owners OF
these boats, whose lying sfhdsvt cannot be proved
perjury They not only steal from pierre and vessels
but they even rob the stores along south and West
streets their plan being 60 watch the policeman on
patrol and after hs has passed the block the stolen
goods are In the darkness hsrred down 20 the shar
and DROPPED into the boat, oonvenienty in waiting
which instantly pulls OF into the stream and battles
pursuit. OF detection. since can know at what
point along our water front landing may be effected
Or whether In fact the rascals may not rendezvous
for the occasion at oboken jersey city Brooklyn or
Willamsturgh. have conclusive evidence that soms
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