The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-01-09
Crime Of New York.
THE REPORT OF The CHIEF OF POLICE.
o the Hon. Caleb s. WoodhuL,


Sir: herewith transmit to you the semi. annual Re-
port Of the Police Depsrtmsnt uciug with the
Embraced in the report you viii ana large amount Of
statistical Information relstve to crime in this CITY,
the violation of corporation ordinances and the cond
ton OF this department There s also connected there
with table showing the arrests for feones misde-
mesnors and other offences committed in the
poDding period Of time In the 1sfs arranged
that your Honor will be readily enabled to compare
the number Of arrests. By referring to this table, it
h % os seen So ,nst aas o. onsacss from
during the six months Of lS49 In the year 1S4s the
whole plumber Of arrests and battery sban-
donment, disordery conduct, ntoxicstion, fighting,
insanity and prostitutes were ten thousand six hun
dred and seventy six while In the Pc
offences were ten thousand two hundred and ninety
| one, showing a diminution Of three hundred and
eishty.dve This is matter worthy Of eongrntula-
tion especially when 1t Is considered that peetenee
was raging In this city, and ss preventive to which
Intoxicating drinks freely prescribed The con.
arrests dsorderly conduct and assault
aud battery which the i'm mediate effects Of indul
gsnce in strong drinks In ls4S there ten thou
sand hundred and ffty-two persons arrested for
these offences and in 1St9, there were nine thousand
six hundred and twenty nine showing diminution Of
| five hundred and twenty three.
BY referring the report sf arrests It will be seen
that during the year 1S4s there fourteen thoa-
sand one hundred and eishty.eght. and the CORES:
pondDs period of ls4s, there fourteen thousand
two hundred and seventy four persons arrested being
IN increase Of eighty six over l8A8.
There have been one thousand four hundred aud
torney for violations Of corporation ordinances during
the six morths, of which number two hundred aud
eighty against hacks hundred and fifty
against stages, two hundred and ninety against
carts and one hundred and twenty two for throwing
garbage in the street.
During the last session of the legislature law wss
enacted making 1t Q misdemeauor to throw garbage
&c In the streets Of the city Of New York which, It
will be seen has had ben nencial effect For violating
the city ordnance this respect, i've hundred and
twenty eight complaints made to the Corporation
Attorney during the period Of s4s bs
IN fhres mn nd ed 4 n
During the six months Of lSi9, there we're twenty
one thousand six hundred and twentyone persons ac
commodHted with lodgings, being Increase the
corresponding period Of ls4s, OF four thousand
hundred and fourteen There two thousand nve
hundred and sixty lost children restored to their
parents being seventy nine less than during the
ponding period Of ls4S. There eighty
ty five persons rescued from drowning, and i've hun
dred and thirty two stores aud dwellings found open.
In connection with this report deem 1t to be my
duty to call the attention of your Honor to deploable
and growing evil which exists amid this community
and which spread the principal business parts
Of the city IL is evil and reproach to muni-
cipslty, for which the laws and ordinances AFFORD
adequate remedy
sllude to the constantly increasing numbers Of va
grant, idle, and vicious children OF both sexes who In
fest pubic thorsug hfsres, hotels docks, So -ch
dren who are growing up in Ignorance and prodigscy
only destined to life of misery shame, aud crime sud
ultimately to fslon's doom Their mbers almost
incredible and to those whose business and habits do
not permit them searching scrutiny, the degradiog
and disgusting practices Of these almost infants in the
schools Of vice, prostitution. and rowdyism would
tainly be beyond belief The edspring Of always
less generally intemperate and oftentimes immoral aud
dishonest parents they the inside OF o
room. and far excellent system Of public edu-
cation 10 concerned (snd which may b. truly said to
be the foundation stone Of insttutons IL is
them entire nulitv Left. In many INSTANCES to
roam day aud night ~herever their Inclination leads
tn. large proportion OF these juvenile vasrsuts
in the daily practice Of plferps wherever opportunity
offers, and begging where they cannot steal In addi-
ton to which the female portion OF the youngest class
those who have only eight twelve summers ars
addicted to mmorslities ef the most loathsoms de-
rspss Of thee prc.psetiTs recruits Of aud sn
from this corrupt aud fostering fountain hous on
csa.eiess stream to our lowest brethes-te the Fen
item ntiary and the State Prison.
Reports have been made to me from, the Captains Of
the 1t ID 3D. 4th. 6th 9Th 7th, sth, 10th lth, and
18th Patrol Distrctsrom which it appeara that the
enormous number Of two thousand nine hundred aud
hfty five children engaged as above described in
these vards alone And Of these, tvo thirds are To-
males between eight aud sixteen years OF Tails
estimate believe to be far short Of the number nc
tuay thus engaged. Astounding as it may seem there
many hundreds Of parents in this city who ab,o.
lutey drive their offspring forth to practices OF theft
and semi. b-stiality that they themselves may live
bodies and souls of those whom their blood cir
culste fer the means Of dissipation snt debauchery
These embryo courtezans and felons may be divided
into several classes. as follovs:-
let Those who copgregste around the piers, &c
where merchandise IL chiefly landed. Cunning aud
sdroit la their operations they daily pilfsr immense
quantities Of cotton sugar, spirits coffee teas, so
from the bales hogsheads casks bsgs chests nc with
which the wharves are generally, more or less loaded;
and In the abssn of other articles Of pulder they
wrench the knobs from doors, steal building hardware
from unfinished Dwellings, lead aud copper pipe, aoi
TIN roofing. they will, even with the owner sad
corfisnee looking Gu. open coffee bsg Ia manner
artisos that he i forced TO believe the bag
has burst by accident and in iew minutes some fifteen
twenty pounds trsust.rred from the panhng OF
the pier to their cspacious baskets or aprons ~ no
uncommon thing foe hog.hesd OF sugar 20 DC snort
from 1fy 20 hundred pounds. through ther unde-
tsct.d aepredaton and the same system of petty ao.
srseop prevails in regard to ali exposed artisle, Of
movable nature. In one ibstasee, an entire bale OF
cotton stolen pieeemeal by this process and the
perpsrstsrs only caught when they returned for
the purpose Of hlehing the bag itself!
To guard all the property exposed along our DOCKS
would require policeman upon eaih pier Ia the lover
wards disrosition Of the iorce, which the PRESENT
which indeed would not In my opinion. be atgisabs
under any circumstances.
The number CT children engaged Ia this nefsrious
occupation IL e,timsted at seven hundred and serenity
In the districts enumerated
Arrest. indeed frequently made, buti Is my duty
10 inform your Honor, that so tar as can learn from
the Of the districts these uvene rogues
generally mansge TO escspe Parents appear in tnsir
behalf With tears aud premises Of careful "a.
psrvison in future the petty psrsr is released
from duraucs with simple repnmsDd from the sitting
magistrs,e TO return In one hour TO the docks more
confirmed thieyipg vsgabopd than ever.
This course Of procedure has b-come 80 nuiversal,
that policemen discouraged and "a the ownsrs Of
the property will seldom tsse the toobls 70 appear
upon the staod to be proper that
further remedy should be sought
In the investigation Of this unpleasant subject,
would beg 10 direct your Houors attention 10 the
m,rous Junk sbops, aud places where secend.hsad
articles bought and sold, existing in THIS city
II 10 notorious 70 thcss Who a, minister. Of tbe aE
obliged TO Keep record of these e,tahishnents
that more than moety Of them might more properly
be de.gnstsd receptacles for stolen goods" They
offer q reward for theft, and an encouragement 20
crime by the facilities they afford u thieves both old
youBs. for the dispossl Il their stolen wares There
are shout two hundred and City junk and sec ,nd
hand dealers In Nev York, eod OF this number only
one hundred and t~eu,y Mise are licepset In aecord
sncs Nth the ordinances of the Corporsuonl nder
the present law ~ IL necessary TO report those not
licensed to the Corporation Attorney who should
for the recovery Of the penalty for the violation OF the
ordinance This process IL foundto be wholly made
quAfe TO the suppression Of the evil complained of tbs
operation being 80 sos that the offenders pay but
little attention to 10 10 i., therefore suggested 10
your hepor that legislative action upon this pOrtsDt
and IS IL appears dangerous branch Of business n me-
cssssfy' 30 thst by placing junk ami second hand
dealers In position similar 60 hack and stage divers
they may for infactons Of ias be dealt with In the
same summary manner.
have reason 10 believe that q statute properly
frsm.d in accordance with the above SUGGESTIONS
would very materially tent TO aoAts the am su NJ Of
Juvenile erime. shich is nov Increasing rapidly and
that by bringing these always suspicion. concerns
th. me ata