Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-05-15
The NTctrOpOIitan Police System i'm
oast aat New York City.

How the Metr opolitan Police system
works in New York city, is thus shown
in areview by the World of the way in
which New York city is governed from
Albany: 4
I, But the chief general charges that can
be brought against the metropolitan police
are those that involve the very essentials
of their existence-the charges of utter
inef1ciency and total recklessness of the
morals of the Dublic-the very points, of
all others, which most loudly call for their
instant removal, or entire reformation In
Section % of the Amended Metropolitan
Police act the various duties for which the
police force is created and maintained are
distinctly set forth under twenty-four
separate heads. Every one of these speci-
fled duties has been for wears, and is now,
to a greater or less degree, neglected, es-
pecially those which most appertain to the
public good. One of the duties particu-
1arized is ''to prevent crime; - never has
crime been so rampant in New York as
since the advent of the metropolitan police.
Another duty is to ssdeteet and arrest of
lenders :" now, as rule, offenders" are
never detected, and only innocent parties
are ARRESTED )" rich rogues almost invari-
ably are either not to be found, or when
found cheat punishment. Another duty is,
to eprOtect the rights of persons and prop
erty;' now, the rights of person. are COM
to the mercy of the burglar. Another
specification is t'to remove nuisances; :" a
city more obstructed or nuisance abound
ing than the metropolis is not to be found
within the limits of the States. Another
specification is 'to repress and restrain
disorderly houses and houses of ill-fame !"
this duty is notoriously disregarded by the
police. In the first place large percent
age of the nadisons de joie of the city,
especially of the more elegant class in Lex
ington and Madison and even Fifth avenue
are conveniently unknown to all save a
few favored members of the force; while
those that are known are never interfered
with. the officers visiting the establish
ments in ''social way" and receiving a
consideration for their kindness. In fact,
detectives are found by certain parties to
be very servicable as occasional cicerones,
and country members of the Legislature,
who visit our wicked town to learn its
wickedness, are said to reward their ser
vices in this department of ''police duty"
very handsomely. Several detectives are
well known to be on the most intimate
terms with lair perditionso of the DENT
monde, while street walking is permitted to
a disgusting extent. Places of nameless
rindecencies abound, known to the police.
and ever and anon one of those places is
singled out to serve as a scape-goat for the
rest. Obscene books are printed and sold
with the conniYance of the police, and are
even sent to schools and seminaries within
the city limits. Complaints regarding this
abominable practice have been frequently
sent to the Mayors office, and referred
from thence to the Police Superintendent,
but no notice has been taken of the matter,
it not being political one. Facilities are
also offered for ''black mail'' by the regu-
lation (No. 297 of the Rules, which pre-
cribes that the policemen shall watch all
disorderly houses, &C., and obserUe By eolaona
Al kl-- Al.
Boards, not the writCr's), and report his
observations, &c. Police officials have also
/, been known to afford such delicate data to
young bloods on this and kindred subjects
as they have positively refused to give to
parties desiriOus of making a beneficial
public use of their information. 1t is also
g made the duty of the police t'to enforce
every law regarding mock auctions" ("
These swindles are denounced by statute,
and are rendered punishable by $1,000 fine,
or from one to three years imprisonment,
and yet they abound in New York, and the
police know it. There are seventeen of
them between Tryon row and Chatham
square, one dry goods mock auction near
the City Hall, and several on Broadway,
besides many others in divers portions of
the city. That the laws against gambling
are disregarded by the police, has been al
ready shown. Gift enterprises are also
contrary to the laws of the State of New
York, and yet they. have been not
only permitted but protected. An
establishment located in the eastern
portion of the city, which processes to
exist only for the benefit of a charitable
institution in one of the Southern States,
and which, though it issues no tickets and
sells no genuine ones, but dispenses mere
policy-slips, is yet patroniZed by the I'M
wary, flourishes in our midst, while other
gift enterprises, from Penneylvania and
other States, have offices in the city. Cir
culars are also sent from these and kindred
establishments all over the country, and
from thence return to New York in the
shape of greenbacks; but neither the police
nor the pOstoffice interferes, though in Bos-
ton and other cities these gift-men, like the
Brothers Harris, have been fined or impris-
oned. Several large stores on Broadway
have been devoted to these gift enterprises,
and altogether the business, though an
illegal one, is profitable one. While vice
and crime in general, under all their varied
aspects, are go familiar as to excite no sur
prise whatever; thefts are of hourly oc-
currence, the conductors on our cars and
our car-detectives sharing the plumber with
the thieves; rObberies at night from steady
feature OF the newspapers in the morning
rapes and indecencies are to be found regu-
larly in the criminal columns inceudiarism
is a recognized element of city life and
murder adds its horrid quota to the annals
of metropolitan guilt. During the last
month, which has been a comparatively
'.quiet" season, there have been, as report
ed in the papers, robberies, 26; swindles,
AZ; Grim. con. cases. 8; divorces public
and private, II; murders, 3; attempts al
murder by policemen, 2 indecent assaults
s.; abortiOns, &C., 6; and probably as many
more cases which have as yet escaped no.
tice. And yet the men who permit thi;
state of things have their salaries regular.
1u nd o66 fO nuc
more than all. Although they are now Ell.
trusted with apoWer greater by far thar
any ever entrusted to the police in any
other country-a power which render,
them not public servants but public mas
ters, as can be seen by reference to the acts
incorporating them, and the rules and regu
lations which they have adopted; a powe
which renders them accountable not to tht
people, not even to the laws, but only Il
themselves; a power which includes indie
pendence of the corporate authorities, con
troll of elections, swearing in at option o
500 extra men, calling out the militia, max
ingtheir own estimates, having these es
Inmates allowed, inquisitorial inspection a
will of public or private buildings, will
the power to alter or tear down at optior
Gas a sanitary board), the cooking of th
registry figures etc.. etc, beside the usua
powers granted to a constabulary force
yet these men, like Oliver Twist ask TO
more or, WnaC Is amaZlnSIy lInpuuenC ne
yond comparison, take it without even tht
needless ceremony of asking; while tn
apathy of the public to these encroaeh
ments on our liberties is, perhaps, one mos
wonderful, as i5 is the most dangerous par
of the whole business.
The subjoined table gives soothing ex
hibit of the gradual increase in the ex
pense of maintaining the Metropolita
Police, especially under the existing reginl,
since the year 1S49:
IA Esfss A - Under Present Con
Under City Authorities missioners.
s47s.0O0 90 Ilsss.........: ssss, ,54s.t