The New York herald., 1870-09-17
POLICE PARADING.
Tho Drill Of the Police Yesterday, and How
it was COnducted-Is the Drill a Necessity =
How the Men Should be Drilled.

Tho Drill Of the Police Yesterday, and How
it was COnducted-Is the Drill a Necessity e.
How the Men Should be Drilled.
It may not be generally known that besides doing
patrol duty the police Of this city every few days
made to 60 through course Of battalion drilling,
just as though they were members in bad standing
OF the National Guard The way they drill ia a
novelty, and the tactics by which they are presumed
to toe the mark are mystery to good many
people. Yesterday afternoon detachments from the
First, Third, Fifth Eighth, Ninth Fifteenth, Six
teenth, Twentieth, Twenty-seventh, Twenty-eghth
and Twenty-nin,h precincts were taken In hand in
washington square, Drill Captain Copeland being
the "Colonel commanding The drill consisted OF
marching by platoons ana companies and the usual
facings and POSITIONS In column. The marching was
SOMETHING so ExECRABLE
that aschoObOy soldier would blush to havewitnessed
1t. and as FOR keeping steady front that alto
gether out OF the question. When the men marched
by companies the front rank in almost every In
stance formed an irregular crescent the centre OF
the company being the middle. There was no regu-
larity whatever in the step. Some OF the men took
the regular distance furnished by Upton others still
a greater distance and Others stepped not quite
twelve inches each time they brought one foot be-
fore another. or course the appearance OF line IN
march under such circumstances can be easily ina
gined. The left and right files seemed to be con-
vergng nearer and nearer to one another as the
march was prolonged, and the captain at the head
OF each company, IN consequence, often ran the risk
Of getting run down by
"ExrREMEs MEErINe.n
The men did not appear To know the first princi-
pies OF the school OF the soldier, ard the captain
and sergeants who acted as cOmmandants appeared
TO no better advantage. For instance when the
great many OF the men put their right foot forward
ana their right hand over their LETT. For this they
were not called to account. One Of the sergeants
was told to dress his company to the left and gave
the order 'eit dressn while he himself stood ct the
extreme right of the line expecting the dressing to
be made IN his direction. Even II the men, dlsre-
garding the error OF the sergeant. had at
tempted to execute the order. the indivi-
dual who should have acted as corporal or
base 10 be pressed against SO that the extreme let
file might have, If he had desired to be technical,
dressed to the other side Of the Park and compelled
the rest OF the line to follow him. Several times
when the command rear open order" was gwen
selves behind the ranks and some Of the 'ieu-
tenants'' also remained with the rear, instead OF
taking their proper positions The coor bearer
HAULED ABOUT BY THE MEN,
who thought they knew better than he did, until ne
tion In which the company to which he was attached
occupied at the time: The "wheengs" were rldi-
left' was given in the wheeiings the men turned
their eyes to the right, and sometimes not only
looked to the right but dressed IN the same direc-
left OF each rank.
VERY GOOD IDEA
OF the utter useleSsneSS OF drilling the men In this
careless sort OF way and without their understand
Ing exactly what they are doing can be had FROM
the answers given to an inqnring HERALD reporter
.TssssJssy "Wnss sys'em I, Of tactics do you fOllOwr
"Are you certainr'
"No doubt of it,"
'How do you know It is not UDton'sW
a qQv lril1o 1oh
cording to Casey"
We accosted another sergeant who replied that he
did not know what system they drilled by, and what
was more, he
DIDN'T CARE A CONTINENTAL.
Another sergeant said he believed that 1t was a
drilled proved him not TO be wide OF the mark.
The fact Is the tactics followed are Norris which,
In many respects, are superior to Uptons, but which,
as a whole, certainly do not come up to the
standard sta i. now followed by the army ana
change Of front was desired, the men yesterday
practsed the old facings insteads Of the wneelinCs
by four, but the facings In all probability for
POLICE FIGHTING
may be superior to the "four'' movement. SO no
fault need be found with this part or the drill.
could but have come TO the conclusion that tners
is no use whatever for the drilling OF the police the
account Tor their They talk and laugh In the
ranks and go through the movements with no evi-
he expected his nei0hhor give him the cue as TO
what he should DO when q certain command is
slVen III may DC all very well 10 drill the men in
large bodies, but each man should be made to un-
derstand the nature OF each movement and its par
ucular value, otherwise the drill is
A LOSS OF TINE
to the department and an unnecessary addition to
the patrolman's days work The drill as conducted
yesterday was bolh. The great deslderatum should
be to have the men understand the use Of firearms
and to that end they
SHOULD BE DRILLED WITH MUsKETs
as the militia are and good course of rine prac-
tce every week or so would be OF value In case OF
q formidable riot the police would then be Of ten
fold the service they were in the 1868 RIOTS although
they did wonders then. This firing the men out
day alter day just to show them how to keep step
and wheel and turn about would be good thing
when accompanied by drill with muskets. without
1t 1t Is utterly useless.