The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-07
The Police ca or View York ~ ContTasecd
with tina 4 European Cities.

rival in our city, there is no.h Dg that puzzles
him more than the imperfections of our police
arrangement. l. is difficult 70 make him I'M
derstand why community SO enterprising, 50
prosperous and, il must added g. amb tious
with the caily inconv niences and annoy ances
arising from this use. instead of the order,
security and cont dence VIII CHI are the general
characteristics of European cities, the stranger
meets in his passage trough our streets con-
tinued sub ects for lis wonderment, if not or his
fears. If he walks, he finds himself every now
and then in the midst of an improvised riot; If
he rides for greater safety, he discovers that
the tboroughfares are choked up witt an mex
tricable labyrynih Of public conyeyances and
that in neither case is any attempt made by
the police to facilitate his p issage. Escaped
from eli b OF both o. these distractions, he
has far prospect, before he reaches his hotel,
of being either gored by runaway bull or
knocked down by drunken rowdy. Should
he be wild enough to look for the police,
he will find them anywhere but where
they ought to b.. These l suppose, are
your invaded veterans of the last war ?"
observed o newly arrived foreigner to us
short time since, as we passed cluster of these
worthless, smoking and enjoying themselves at
the entrance Of BAR room. He was rather
surprised to learn that these decores of tue
star, whom be took for old pensioners Who had
done the country good service, were only
parcel of lazy policemen who were idling away
their time on duty. You take things easily
in this part Of the world" was the natural
reply.
| The reproach implied in the observation is
but too well merited From the highest DOWN
to the lowest Of the officials employed under
our present system of city government, the
only canon Of duty that seems to actuate them
is to pocket all the public money they can get
and do the least amount of work possible for it,
If this laxity Of principle animates the heads
Of departments, it is not to be expected that
the police, composed as it ia of persons whose
only recommendations for employment are
their equivocal political antecedcnts, should
prove an exception to the general rule. Hence
it is that We have the worst regulated and
most inefficient police in the world.
When foreigner contrasts the admirable
police systems of Great Britain which are ex-
empt from the Objectionable feature Of espion-
age which dsgraces those Of the Continent,
with that Of New York, be cannot form a very
favorable opinion Of the working of institutions
which can secure no more satisfactory results
Coming from London, for instance, where he
has seen population OF upwards Of two mil
lions kept in orGer by force of about five
thousand policemen, and where life and pco-
perty are placed under circumstances Of as
great security as human ingenuity can devise,
it is difficult for him to comprehend why, with
such model before US, and such an expendi.
turc "a our present arrangements cost us, We
cannot succe. suliy initiate its details. lie
smiles incyedulousy when he is told that party
Influences are in this, rs in many other instances,
allowed TO neu,ralze all considerations Of Tue
public good. And yet it is not the less true
that to these causes we owe the ineficicncy
and worthlessDess Of this important dop,srt.
ment.
Until the police force of New York is 70.
moved beyond the power OF those influences.
until its organization is based upon the same
plan as that on which the English system il
constitu' cd, until the prevention of crime, 400
not it's punishment merely, is made the
ruling principle Of its action, it will never
give satisfaction to our citizens, or secure
those conditions which the existence of
an efficient boly OF this sort should inn
ply. Instead Of selecting men for their
political antecedents attention shoul1 " paid
only to their moral ana physical re- aenda.
tioDs, for we hold that, in this case, the one q
as necessary as the other. In the London po-
lice no man will be accepted under q certain
standard of height, or above certain a. and
he must pass q careful examination by u medi-
cal flicer before he can be enrolled in tie iorce
His character and previous pursuits are, be-
sides, subjected 10 the strictest inquiry, aud he
must be able to produce we'll authentic ted re-
concentrations from two or more h0uscholders
as to the sobriety and correctness Of his habits.
After his admission the slightest deviation
from hose habits the least tendency towards
corrupt Influences and the most triding acts Of
nsuo0p dinaton, are visited with severe cen
sure, and in the event of repetition, with sum-
mary dismissal I, ON the force. Under our own
system, it is true that many of these regula-
tions exist, but they exist merely in theory,
and are but rarely reduced to practice. Men
sre admitted in the police force who are noto-
riously, physically as we'll as morally, dis
qualified for the performance Of the duties
which they undertake. In the prcsen. body are
to be found persons of all ages-the old and in
firm as we'll as the young and vigorous---lcss,
perhaps Of the latter than Of the former, for they
have not graduated in party school AS to
their moral qualifications generally, they may
ton"
How is it to be expected that, constituted of
such elements as these, the police system of
Nav York shonld either nrnvp sakisfnciocu tn