Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-03-21
The Police Albanian.

The latest and most complete account of the
police force of London is given by a writer in
the Dark Blue Magazine, who says: In London,
the police forms a very respectable army in num-
bers, is organized on military basis, with
complete hierarchy of officers, and of late has
received cavalry contingent, which will soon
no doubt be the glory of its military directors.
The CITY has been mapped out into new divi-
siOns for police purposes, and each street or Sc
rles of streets is placed under the especial guar
dianship Of an individual officer. Telegraph
wires running under ground connect the various
districts with headquarters; and, with the mill
tary discipline indeXibly maintained, render the
force as effective for great or little services
against the enemiee of society, as a any human
arrangement yet invented has proved TO be-
There are at the present moment under the
commissioner and assistant commissioners tall
military officess): Twenty-Six erintendents,
2jI inspectors, 9j5 sergeants, and 1922 consta-
bes to watch over the enormous population and
boundless wealth contained within the police
radius Of S8S square miles.
The nine thousand men of the force are di-
yided into twenty divisions. nineteen of which
are known by letters of the alphabet, each one
numbering on an average from $50 TO 800 men
The X or Stepnev division is the strongest hay
ing close upon 700 rank and file; with the ex-
cepuon Of the Thames, an unlettered body, the
or Whitechapel division is the smallest num-
benng less than 300. The Fancy A :" as il is
called in the force, is the favored division, being
SET apart to guard the palaces and the houses Of
parliament, and generally to assist in state pa
geants. 1t has three superintendent all 10 itself.
and there are thrty-five inspectors and ninety
seven sergeants to look after its 401 constables.
The other divisions are more sparingy differed
even the X having to manage with one superin.
tendent, thirteen inspectors, and and seventy
nine sergeants. No particular rule governs the
number of inspectors in each division Each d.
vision IS complete in itself, and looks after all
the beats within its own bounds. In times Of
disturbance Il receives or gives assistance but in
all ordinary times it would be considered a
monstrous oftnse for an NJ to trench on the
ground of an n, or c to walk on D's side of
the way.
The pay of all ranks has been recently in.
creased, at least nOminally. The men have an
additional Is. 3d. sterling a week. but for thar
they are Obliged 10 be satisfied with one DAVIS
leave for fortnight, instead Of one in a week
When recruit Joins he finds himself rated as
an ordinary constable of the fourth class, with
FL a week paw. The deductions for the super
annuation fund, clothes, &c, leave him about
los. net. He graduates through the third and
second class until be finds himself in the reserve
second class, with deductions. When he gets
into the first reserve, he viii find himself in re-
cept OF FL Is. Cd. a week, the highest pay for
private constable. II he Is uncommoniy sharp,
or can make his superiOrs think he is he NAV
then become divisional detective, with an ex.
| ira slXpence week. He now waits for his ser.
geancy, which will be worth 10 blm Ct O. a
week. Ii he is lucky he NAV advance until he
| gets as station sergeant, FL 15s and if promot.
| ed to the chief Office 81 lis. sd. An ordinary
| Inspector Of the second class gets 81 IS. GIL a
| week, and chief inspector three guineas The
| best paid detectives are those of Scotland ward
| itself, who receive ca l6s ID. A superintedent
| in his drst year gets no more but his
salary rises with every year until the eley
| enth, when he gets E6 14s. 3D. and chance OF
| 81 artriaa al,
ance.
Before the fourth-class constable can rise tc
the position Of superintendent, he will find a
| great many obstacles 10 be surmounted II hi,
| education be bad, as it too often is, he will have
| TO make 1t good at the evening classes now at
| tached to most stations. He will have TO be I'll
| ways in the way when his sergeant wants him
TO he civil TO his inspector, and intelligent before
the magistrate while conducting case II h,
can succeed in making clever capture he will
| find himself spoken Of in the police reports n,
| an active and intelligent officer, and he ma,
consider himself on the right road
he ranks are filled up by voluntary enlist
ment, promotion goes by merit, or, at all events
| by selection, seniority going for something
though not for much, and the highest grades
are attainable by the humbest constable if h
| be favored by the stars IL the young maj
wants to enter the force, he will 6nd that moth
| ing more is necessary than knowledge Of read
| ing aud writing, n strong constitution, and
| good character. After he has got his name in
scsibed on Il roll of portent Gus length, gener
| ally bearing the names Of hundreds Of appli
cants, he will, If he be sharp, assiduously busl
himself in looking up some influence which car
get MIN taken out of the rank, and advanced a
once over the heads Of his competitors. Hayin.
passed the doctor he will be placed in the pre-
plratory class, where he will be kept for SOM
Ten days, undergoing a course of drill and gen
erai instruction. He will be lectured by a su.
perntendent of the A division, upon all the du
ties winch he will be called on to fulfill; an in
structlon book is given him for bis private read
lug, after drill hours; and the superintenden
taxing that as sort of PRAYER book, aud IN,
Ponce Acl as Bible, carefully prepares him fol
the ceremony OF being sworn IN before the com
missioner himself at the earliest opportunity
az an early day
The beats are coextensiye with all the street,
lanes, ana alleys Of London, and the highway
and byways of the country round about Eacl
man islurnished with beat card, on which m
| streets conlided to his care are carefully morke