New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-09-12
THE POLlCE.


only two sugses ions for future legislation; oae
is, that tie City should pay the tailors' bills OF
the entire Police Department, an the other, 10 It
better Station. Houses should be built Tne latter
proposition deserves to be considered. While
there is scarcely shy public edifice in the City
that might not be greatly improved IN It's sanitary
character the Station Houses are especially uOta
bic for their disregard of health and convenience.
To be sure tie people think three-quirters OF a
million q year pretty round sum for Police pay;
but if they reflect moment, they will fnd that
the doctors bills Of the sick and lazy of the De
partmeut will soon amount to more than the ex-
pense of proper buildings. II may perhaps be
argued that it makes no difference as to malt ths
force whether they are sick or not, since they
are only in the way when abrOsd but as the p;y
runs on aud the spOthecsrys bill is added, Il
would be worth while 70 take away as far a
possible, the most frequent cause or excuse for
sickness. Besides, such a course is due to the
thousands of persons arrested and confined, for q
night at least, in these StatiOn-Houses. Whrteyer
ofense man may be charged with, il is l. 'sher
just nor humane to shut him up where his 18th
il endangered. Let US at once, then. have d
sanitary reform in the station Houses at least.
With regard to putting the corps in uniform,
the Chief says it was for the interest OF the City,
the protection of lives aud property aud tae To-
creased usefulness and efficiency of the Depirt-
ment that the uniform was prescribed and he
testfes that all these OBJECTS have been attained
But because il is an ofense for private citizens to
assume the uniform of Policeman, Mr. Nttsell
thuks the City ought to buy all the clothing, and
take the refuse when a man leaves the force
We. don't see the weight of this argument since
Policemen if they conduct themselves honestly,
are appointed for life, or during good behavior,
and get what we believe the ma ority among
Themselves esteem to be fair salary. Wnen
their dress was Of such color and fashion as each
man pleased 10 one suggested that the City sholld
pay for it. Since that time the salaries have
been increased about 90 per cent, aud no more
nor finer cloth IS expccted-the oaly change
being in color from black or white or red Or
green to blue Has the price of indigo so greatly
risen that the City must assume the whole cloth
Jog Of the Department We think not
These are all the suggestions for improvement
that appear in the Chiefs communication. OF
little. From Jan. l to July 81, there were 25,-
40 persons arrested; an increase Of ASH over
the last six months of 1853 Ofthe arrests siuce
January. there were - for murder. (previous
six months. l5) IL for arson loo for assault with
intent % kii 76G for assault and battery, ISj
for abandonment, 10 for bigsmy, 1868 for dsor-
derry conduct. & 100 last half year, 6)I for
fighting in be streets 30 for insanity, $50 for
drunkenness. (9,9i3 in previous six months)
-42 for vaerancy so for violating ordinances,
and the remainder principally for crimes against
property. For selling liquor without license lJ7
arrests are put down, against 6l5 for the previ-
Gus half year, ard rs Ouly from July, IS45, to
January. 1854, while the same report ingenious
ly records fNeRiy nine hundred and serenity eight
unlicensed rum shops in full blast. averaging sew
en- thOufand persons in the daily practice Of lille.
gal rum selling, openly and with the fall knowl-
edge of the Chief and his men. The Chief, 1It.
teTiug himself With considerable increase in the
total number Of arrests, and looking upon his De-
pertinent not ss preventive bat as a furnishing
power points to the large return of capt yes, not
as an evidence of the increase of crime, for this
be explicitly denies but as showing the "ia.
creased efficiency Of the Police. Perhaps Se
may as well here note a fact which he keeps back
The effective fo!ce on the lst of January last was
g7- men; on the lst Of July, l,lO2 men; an in
crease of nearly IA per cent, giving an increase
Of arrests il the first half Of 1854 over the las.
half of 1853 OF per. cent-beiDg diminuton
instead Of again in efficiency, to say nothing Of
the natural Increase Of population and conse.
quertly Of work for the Police in tie City.
But the reader viii examine the details of the
report for himself, and especially the table of
rum Notes.-The great ever-dowipg spring which
generates snd fosters ninetenths of all the crime
perpetrsted within our borders. With all CON-
plscency, the Chief tells US that there are G. sos
public rum-holes in New-York, Ito which should
be added 1900 to 5000 Kept in houses of prOsti.
tu'icn snd not recsrded;) that ? ,975, or nearly
bali, sre unlicensed and tAa, more than 3 900
are hsbitually aud constantly open on the Sab
bath. In enc Ward 225, and in another 32l, are
in full operation, and not single license has been
granted for either Ward; in one Ward 353. in
smother 235, another 375. another 80. another
3c4, ard in the Fourth Ward FIRE kzGdred rum
shops are open on Sundsy-ard in this. last Ward
only slereH out Of 81 even pretend to close up
on that day. How any man whose face is not
made OF CGrintbian brass esn claim increased eff.
feieDcy and increased pay for the Police and in
the same breath record such dSuling facts as
the above, is beyond our comprehension, even
after years Of Acquaintance with the present
Chief. Let the people carefully compare the re-
i-k e. 81. 81.