The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-02
POLICE MATTERS.

The Force to be Reduced to LOO Men.
Comptroller Green, in of those peculiar fits OF
!retrenchment for which he is so famous sent word
to the Commissioners Of Police yesterday afternoon
that he had caused the appropriations for the De-
lpartment to be cut down $263,s24 from
the estimate handed into the Board of
Audit for 1872. The amount required
for salaries for the year Is 49, 1S6,320. The neces-
sary supplies for station houses win cost according
to the lowest estimates made by the Police Com
missioners, 1927, 5oi making total of 49, 3e3 1874.
From this sum Mr.. Green proposes to deduct
S263,s2i, for some reason that only exists
lin the fruitfulness OF his own brain.
by this strategic movement on the part OF the
Comptroller, not only the necessary repairs and
,supplies OF the station houses taken away, but
the salaries are cut into, thereby compelling the
Board OF Police to reduce the force. If Mr. Green
would just fora moment reflect upon the present
Estate of New York ana think OF
THE INTERESTS or TIE PEOPLE
For short time lie would rather do everything
in his power to assist the commissioners of Police
to put stop to the crime now raging in the city,
than throw obstacles in the way Of its
suppression The police force, as it Is
Z at present constituted, is at least one thou
sand men short of the number required to take
proper charge OF the persons and property OF
our citizens, and yet the face Of all this Mr. Green
w he Board Of very m rence
force from 2ioo to 1,7so men. There are posts Of
duty now an in the several precincts from
are daily Pfe' The Board
Police Is determined TO keep the expenses of the
Department within the limits ofthe amount meted
out, and the Commissioners say they will reduce
responsibility fall upon the proper shoulders. One
: of the most fragrant wrongs committed by this
action is the allowing the Board of Police to-
have gone on since January under the impress
sion that the estimate sent in by them was
satisfactory, and then when third Of the year was
Ing the supplies. The reduction in no way Injuries
the Police Commissioners, but it is
EXPOSING THE PEOPLE TO TERRIBLE RISKS,
and the gangs of thieves, plundercrs and rowdies
that now iniest the city, viii not be
Manierre spent considerable time with Comp
troler Green, when the estimate for the
Department was handed, In to make him understand
what was required. The figures OF the Commission
ers were at that time satisfactory but Mr. Green
has since changed his mind, and the result is the
: lives of the citizens are to be more than
ever exposed to the chances Of the high
way. The COmptroller's great objection is to the
number of clerks in the department; but that
branch of the service has at no time cost
more than seventy thousand dollars and there
Is scarcely clerk In the department now who has
not been there over five years. They are the poorest
paid and the hardest worked oflce-hoders in the
city government The police books are always open
to the public in the Office of the chief clerk, and
careful examination OF them yesterday by HERALD
reporter showed that
THE, STATION HOUSE EXPENSES
have not varied more than five thousand dollars
In SIX years. with this state OF things before the
public the action of the Comptroller is inexplicable
New York is one-thrd the size of London and has
police force OF =, 100 while London has force of
1900 men yet, Notwithstanding this great differ
ence In numbers, the returns Of the depart
ments in both cities show that the
police Of New York made 1900 arrests duringg the
past year In excess Of those made by the 5000
English metropolitan police At a meeting OF the
Board held yesterday afternoon the Commissioners
decided 10 begin at the work OF reducing the
. force. No more appointments will be made, and
the slightest offence will the dismissal Of the
man. Some eighty cases OF delinquencies are now
on the book for trial. Commissioner Barr will
dispose OF those on Monday, and many Of the poor
fellows who have expected to get OF with q fine
will find themselves suddenly stripped of their uni
forms. Several captains are to be retired on small
pensions, ana every effort made to reduce the
force, so that at the end OF the year there shall
= no deficit.