New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-01-22
semi-Annual Report by the Chief of Police

evening
Hos 4. c KINGsIAND, MAYOR
SIR. TIE annexed report Of the condition anu
orersnor Of the Police Department for the sT
months tro-fg on the 5isi DecehoeI' I7'I' I'm
Il comparative statement " me nun95f o. arcs
made during each month 0f the years $50 aud 73l'
and statements OF the whole uuWoer OF arrests
made by members o. me Department ana ces.iIp
tor Of officers from the time OF % first organza-on
"a Dec 81 1851. from which II dpps trs tndt mere
have been IS CSC persons arrested IN pefioI on St
an a half wears. of whom -, 'y3 were iof d.stA'
and battery % lG4 for dlsOUery conduct 2ui1 io-
frntiuc M tre gtfeet A 1873 for IntOxcauon S1Vl'
for lnt0xlCaron and disOTte'y conduct ana IiVs5
for vagrancv Making $40 192 Tor ouenses result
ing almost entirely from the free use OF intoxicating
drinks.
There were IS fj3 arrests made during the SIX
months ending with December 81, leJl, being an il,-
crease over the previous y mohtnS OF go consist
g mostly C persons arrested for nt0Ication or o.
feI ses result ing tberefrOm There were 10 pers )ns
arrested for murder, making 80 persons arrested ior
that oifeISe during the year lr5l. Since me ufsI
organization Of the Department (sX and hall Jealsl
there have been one hundred persons arrested
charged with the comm ssOn ofthe crime oimuT1er,
averaging l5i persons for each year. II IS iact
worthy ofIemark that The whole number mention
ed above but ole murder has been committed IN Of
years with the view Of obtaining money thereby.
THE MURDERED POLICEMEN.
The alarming increase Of this description o. crime
during the past wear demands and should receive me
seTOus consideration OF every cltlZen VIZ VI tAe
I members OF THIS Department are among hu iOO
Of those no have met an untiiheN emu " .o an d
OF the assassin, and those who committed the deeu
have beer sentenced TO be hung ana are no y await
Ing the execution Of the law. George /. uiuespS
and Michael Foster were ON efs OF more than Ofd-
nary merit. and they held a proud position among
Their comrades While IN the discharge OF thelr
duty in The s, hour OF the night, enforcing IN an
energetic and yet ia an lnotensVe manner the avs
they had sworn 20 maintain, they were deprived OF
HE leaving their helpless families to the protection
al q sustepanCe Of their fellO@-cltzens
Policemen are called upon 10 encounter dangers
IL every form AID II they not fully sustained Dy
strict execution Of the law against those who I'M
lawfully resist their authority, they are shofn OF
their power protect peaceful citizens IN the eAer
else OF their rights and privileges. This subject
forciby c0mneDds itself to the attention OF those
who nave the power TO punish offenders against the
law
The subject Of providing suitable StatioR-Houses
for the several Patrol Districts is one that should
command immediate attention Some o. the Station
Houses at present occupied 10y policemen are totally
unfit for such use, and should be abandoned without
delay TINS particularly the case IN regard TO the
Station House III the With District It's location the
arrangement OF the apartments and the manner OF
It's construction, all combine 10 condemn it. IL Is
situated on the first floor Of the 9llldng known as
the Halls of Justice, and is built entirely OF stone
The ground forms part of what was formerly known
as the Collect whence issued streams of water and
render the whole of the ground a soft marsh.
Such was the character OF the ground that II was
with great difficulty that II could be filled up with
DIT in order TO make it conform TO proper grade
and when the erection Of the present building was
undertaken no proper foundation could be found 50
that nearly The whole Of that immense structure
stands upon piles driven through mud and marsh, to
many feet below. Such being the character Of tie
ground upon which the bulting is erected, the in
propiiety OF compelling human beings to sleep "lIhn
It's stone walls, on the ground floor, is clearly mani
lest. Capt. Brennan, IN report addressed to me
uses the following language:
THE sleeping room foI the men is not fit for any
human being 10 sleep in. There is constantly
fl M nd Clth ~ ma
great particularly IN wet weather or when the tue
IS high which causes the sewer u overflow, and
leaves the sagnant water under the oors) that the
men are compelled 10 leave Il, and do without the
necessary rest they should have to enable them to
perform their duties. You will notice by the daily
returns made to you, that there are four or five men
reported sick, and within The last three weeks we
have lost two by death. have no other reason 10
assign for this sickness and death ID an the uahea thy
and miserable accommodation for sleeping. The
corridor and cells for prisoners ana lOdgeIs are con
unUaly wet aEu cold night, nave TO take
them from their cells TO them-it being i'm
possible to let the male portion remain by the stoves
oil account Of having no other place for the females
but the corridor. We have to keep both prisoners
and lodgers III this place, which | think is wrong
for often have decent females to apply for ioig-
ing and protection, aud think II hard 20 put them
with the worst of their sex but we are compelled
to do So having no other place. II IS een the case
that persons have been LOGGED in those cells ap
palenilv well and hearty, and IN the morning were
hardly able to so out. By giving this your atten-
tion, You viii receive the heartfelt thanks OF the
policemen and others
Ia order TO ascertain more clearly the actual con-
don OF this Station House, and us effect upon the
health OF the Policemen Of that Disuct, directed
DR. Jones the Physician Of the Department, to make
an examination, and report 10 me, III writing Oh the
subject Re has, accordingly done So anC IN MS re-
poII, dated Dec 81, 1881, he says
The Staton-Ilouse is situated ontRe basement floor
OF what is usually known as the " TOmbS" at the
cemtr OF Centre and FTankin.stS The Office Is Ill
front and The lodging room OF the men is acJ0lnDg
on the same floor, and In the more interior part OF
a.. ltaal.t fTnln nTV
stone walls and low stone ceiling, found between
thirty ana forty beds closely packed together, with
bare room to walk between. In this vault, where
the men compelled TO sleep, and where day light
is scaliy admtted-all is dismal, damp and wretch
ed. The dampnesS of the room Is so excessive tnat
moisture Is constantly on the walls, and at times ac-
tualy tnckleS down Ia streams. From beneath the
floor, there is constantly exhaled fetd and humid
uasm from the sewer, which, together with the car
bonlc acid gas generated by the lungs oil so many
persons crowded INTO one sleeping apartment, an
apartment too In which there is total absence OF
Ventilation makes an atmosphere at all times onen-
siye and unhealthy but which IN hot weather is al
most sutOcatng
AT the night OF the Office on Frankn-st. are sua-
tee the cells OF prisoners and for those destitute be-
ngs who compelled by necessity TO have recourse
10 Station House for lodging and place oirefuge
fIOm the open streets. The walls, ceiling and fioor
Of these cells are OF stone, and are continually wet
UpOn stepping INTO one of these places, In which
there Is no FIRE, a chill and sokenng dampness IN
stantly peryadeS the whole system. The only warmth
thtN IT SHlalA S1V'O Ou t'tV
passage-way, which Is supposed to warm eight or
nre cells aclolnirg which does not. On the out
sice OF these cells, mere passage way OF some SIX
feet III width, Is the lodging place for women Ihere
is narrow wooden seat running dlong the wall on
size, which the only accommodation FOR sleep
ing other than the wet stone pavement OF the ilooI
The books OF the Station House show that from
twenty to thirty homeless humln beings are nightly
crowded into this apartment. IL may therefore De
well understood, that the greater portion OF them
must from necessity lie on the wei stones the en-
ire night have myself seen these wietched be-
ngs lyine the pavement and on one another, like
sheep IN the shsmbles. More miserable, unnealhy
and horrible dungeons cannot well be conceived Of
These exist IN the center OF the metropolitan City OF
d civilized and chrstlanlzed country.
The Office. tire lodging room for the men, ana tue
cells for prisoners and lodgers are, IN my OPINION To-
tally inadequate and Inappropriate to the purposes
for which they are used.
II II necessary to have healthy and Ell ;ent men
fnr the noce fOLce OF The CITY. and TINS necessity