The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-02-02

Alleged Ine6ir1eney OF tho realce Force In
the Arrest OF OHenders-Where the Blame
Really Lies.
The nunerou. nj hi assaults, garrotiuss and burgares
which have recently occurred within our city funds,
have been made the preexh for voeu attack by cor.
tain newspapers on our police the faeu are in
CURED into It will be easy TO oh that the rSsponsbty
Of these ourages lies not with the police but with the
system under nich orr city affairs administered
and small degree with the Indifference TO their du.
ties Of some Of magistrates There is no doubt that
the excitement occasoned by these events has pur
posely exaggerated with view TO producing effect at
Albany Notwithstanding all that has been said on the
subject certain that the number Of these ourages ID
NO larger than usually is a this time of the year. But
supposing for argument sake, that there increase
the police viii presently show, are not to be held
responsible for II.
After careful investigation OF the fAots We have ar.
rived at the conclusion that the police, 90 body dis
charge their duties efficiently other organized
force Of q similar character that we know Of. Al our
readers aware the number OF the city police lin
tied by act OF the Legislature and neither tia Common
Council the have the power to increase
IT, There has been augmentation force since 1850
whilst the CITY, every knows, has increased both
In population and territory Let just cite example of
the in which the rapidly increasing ratio lat
upon duties and ahors oil force whose
bers remain stationery like that OF the police We will
take the Eighteenth ward the best illustration that &C.
ours TO the moment. This ward comprises about
square half mile Of territory which allotted by law
any policemen. From these fifty, ten are detailed for
special duty aud five detailed to the parks and
railroad depos within the ward there average
about five on the sick i leaving but thirty for pa
troll duty Hence it follows that the posts and beats
patroed by the men very large, comprisng gener
ally tour or five streets about quarter OF mile in
length because but bali oil the force be OUT whilst the
other half sleeping. II will thus be seen that q ct.
may be ascked at point Of the pocemsu's beat
whilst the other fsi.fuy dschargng hts duties the
other Garrose ro5eries for instance always effected
by party Of three FOUR two OF whom make the st.
tack whst the other two keep watch TO that the po
liceman nowhere 10 the vicinity. I. follows q matter
OF course that the latter arrive In time the
spot where the robbery La committed.
But this u not all greater dc ulty STILL is the dis.
couragement caused to the police by the
Of offenders after arrest Tho police magistrate to whom
Mr. Halls new police bill proposes to give power to hold
courts and special sessions held by the Recorder and
City Judge, toe Judges before whom In the first
instance oulprs carried after arrest. II the
takes place at night the prisoner OF
10 the station house, but the morning 10 conveyed be
fore the magistrate. Where the offence Is assault
and battery riospg in the streets, the proba oy Ia
tnat OhenGet ORR suDlcept influence 10 pear
tho magistrate TO his release simple repr
mand The impuniy resulting from this state OF things
60 emboldenE offenders that have known repeated
instances In which they have returned the night
the beat Of the ooer, and abused him for having
rested them But even suppotng the delinquent 10 be
held twice out OF three times by the magistrate to
the complaint the probability IL tina, examination
. cunning or Influential lawyer Will succeed In Testing
his di,cbage he'semi-annual return OF the Chief of
Police TO the Mayor will show that three times the num-
Der Of maize than sent before the
Grand Jury for Indictment that Of the greater proper
ton Of arrests made nothing 10 ever heard afterwards
From these facts Is evident that s not su ,en, for
the proper administration Of justice tha, the police officer
should hs duty, but that the police magistrates and
the District Attorney should also properly discharge
theirs The latter failing, have shown In this res
peos 10 most unju.t to tnrow the responsibility Of tac
escape Of oaeaders upon the police. Recently, we
happen know In consequences OF there being many
ress fire thieves and OF Its being the practice Of the
poice magistrates simply TO rprimand and discharge
such offenders the Mayor found 1t necessary 70 give
orders to have them detained 81 the station house until
the nre over, to prevent them from returning
10 their predatory pursuits after summary dismissal by
the magistrates
In the face OF these acts and supposng the police force
TO be equal In point OF numbers 10 the labors required
OF tnen no" He We 70 expect even tne most conscien-
ous discharge OF their duties 10 have any sensible effect
upon the dimnuton Of crime: There are now pending
several bou,And oSes OF assault highway robbery, bur
gAry arcenies Of all kinds, in which prosecution
vii, be instituted, and the immunity resulting from ths
OF things wiz Of course In every instance lead to
the repetition OF the offence. WHAT encouragement, Is
there repeat for the police to make pre-.
OF such cuipssle Indifference the part OF he
authorities aad what terror Is there In arrest itself for the
offender when II leads 70 no more penal copsequencese