The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-07-07
CHARLESTON.
TUESDAY MORNING. JULY 2. 1868.
The City Police.


pal affairs, but the zeal which the members
have shown in the good work Of making
income equal. tosoutlay, entities their recon-
mendations to an immediate and impartial
crit cism. The Committee on Retrench-
iment, in their report already published,
advise reorgar alton of several of the.
departments Of the city government, so as
Ito save from one hundred thousand to one
hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars
lrsr annum; and make q majority and mi
nority report, each covering bill to regu-
late our police department. These bills it
Lis now proposed to examine.
The majority bill reduces the number of
regular police to twenty-five, and author
lies not exceeding fifty watchinen for night
duty; allows one marshal, two assistant mar
shals and two assistant captains Of police;
limits the number Of police horses to two;
defines the duties Of the various officers
and the men; provides for authorizing pri-
vate watchmen to act as policemen, and for
the appointment Of reserve police; but
does away altogether with the present de.
tective forcs. This bill gives the following
Ispey: Marshal fifteen hundred dollars per
annum, assistant marshals one thousand
per annum, captains seven hundred and fifty
dollars per annum, regular policeIe en- fifty
dollars per month, and tight police or watch
a. Il III. II
bill is estimated to save fifty thousand or
sixty thousand dollars.
The minority bill reduces the number Of
policemen to: sixty, with four steeplemen;
allows one chief.of police, two lieutenants,
two second ieutenants, eight sergeants;
lin is the, number Of. police horses to two;
allows one lieutenant and six privates as q
detective force; and provides for giving to
private watchmen3the authority Of regular
policemen. This bill gives the following
pay: Chief fifteen hundred dollars, lieu
tenants one thousand dollars, second leu
tenants nine hundred dollars, sergeants-
.6fty.fve dollars per month, privates fifty
dollars per month, steeplemen twenty del
lars per month. This bill is expected to
save thirty -fye thousand dollars per annum.
There is one greatpoint that the two bills
aaye in comnor-a reduction in the number
Of policemen. This painfulas i may be, is q
necessity which cannot be avoided until
Charleston is far. more prosperous than she
now is, No man Of sense would reduce the
number Of policemen as matter Of thoise:
and 10 such measure would have been
recommended but that the city is spending
more than she receives, and must cut down
her expenses in every department, until
they do not exceed the amount of her an
nual revenue: This being admitted, it is
for Council to determine what is the mini.
mum number Of policemen required to pre-
serve, under ordinary circumstances, the
peace and order Of the city. The majority
bill cuts very deep. and advises twenty. FIVE
regular police, assisted by fifty night watch
men. The minority bill gives sixty regular
policemen, and seems to be the more pru-
dent of the two. Watchmen engaged for
night duty at twenty-five dollars per month
will have day work as well, and during the
/ day time will follow their usual trades. AT
night they will want rest, and this, it is
feared, they will be tempted to find in door
ways and snug corners. ''Poor pay, poor
preach" is maxim as common as it is true,
and it is be lieved that sixty regular police
men would be far more effective than twen-
ty-hve regulars and fifty assistants. The
cost of the majority system would be thirty
thousand dollars per annum, and of the
minority system thirty-si1' thousand dol
ars-while the advantages of the latter
would be greater than the increase in cost.
Indeed, it would be better to have only fifty
regular responsible police, costing thirty
thousand dollars, than The twenty-five reg
ulars and fifty irregulars, costing the same
amount. There is no difference of opinion
as to the monthly pay Of the polioe-it may
be placed at fifty dollars per month.
The officers allowed by the majority bill,
FIVE in number, will cost but FIVE thousand
dollars; those allowed by the minority bill,
thirteen in number, including sergeants,
will cost ten thousand i've hundred and
eighty dollars. In our opinion it is unwise
to create any such Offices as marshal and
assistant marshal. The present style Of
officer is simpler, and as compromise there
might be appointed one chief Of police at
fifteen hundred dollars, two ieutenants at
one thousand dollars, end two ieutenants
at seven hundred and fifty dollars, amount
ing in all to FIVE thousand dollars, as in the
majority bill. The steeplemen, four in num-
ber, are necessary for giving alarms. The: