National Republican., 1873-11-14
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Tag ANNUAL RtPORT OF TIE BOARD

Work OF the Police Department Duriua the |
Last Twelve nisuths = Statistics Of
Crime ana Cris,Inal-- Operntisss Of tho
De,eciivc Corp--Ncce-.Ity for AZ Ia
creased Ferre-The Police Tciesrsph-
vaiuabIe esusscstions-A Geed showing
for the Department.
The twelfth annual report Of the Board
of Metropolitan Police was transmitted
TO the Attorney General yesterday. Il says: In
compliance with provision Of the act Of Con-
Eress, approved March 9, isIs, making sppro-
prlAtions for sundry civil expenses Of the Gov
ernment, &C., the Board Of Metro poiitan Police
Commissioners for the District OF Columbia re-
spcctfuiy submit to you their twelfth annual re-
port Of the "condition Of the police within said
District" for the year ending September 30, isIs:
rnE FORCE.
The regular force, as at present constituted,
consists OF AIS men, as follows: Major and super
intendent, I; captain and Inspector, u licuten-
ants. 10; scFgcants, ~; pIiyatcH, or patrolmen'
900; detectives, @. Total, 25S.
There arc also In the employ ment OF the board,
under authority Ot law, the following officers,
VIE; Secretary Of the bonrd, ]; property clerk,
clerks, Q; surgeons, 3; messenger, ]; aborefr, y,
The board has also commissioned, as provided
by law, % prTSons AZ additional prvates to do
dutJ at various localities at the expense OF the
nhf''' hlphNatNh Aoa N-e" effehf
ment
pRrusrrosoF ruE roRcr.
Al the Central Office, with duties extending
throughout the cntire D,stric, Of Columbia, the
following officers are assigncd. VIZ: Major and
superintendent, !; captain and Inspector, u;
detectives, o; one lieutenant and four privates
o. sanitary ofnccts, 8.
For more perfect and thorough police tsur.
vcillanct) the District OF Columbia "a divided
into eight precincts, to each OF which Is as
signed ieuienant, sergcants and privates, as
follows: FIst precinct, lieutenant 2sergesnn
. 2sergeanis and u privaies, 81; Third precinct,
! lieutenant, q seigeants and 81 privatcs, 70
Fourth prccincL lieutenant, 2 ascrgeants and 70
privates, 20; Fifth precinct, I lieutenant, Q ser
gcants and 20 priyates, 20; sixth precinct, !
lieutenant, . sergeants and % privatcs, 2s; Sew
enth precinct, lieutenant, 0 scrgeants and 20
pIivstes, d; Eighth precinct, ! lieutenant,
sergsants and 20 privates, 80. Total, s3s.
Of the above number there are permanent de-
tails assigned to special duty, as follows, Viz
.; at the railroad depots, 2; at the police head
quarters as telegraph operators, &c,, q; at each
df the station. houses (eight In alD as station
keepers and telegraph operators, two privates,
10. Total detail, 20.
NECESSITY OF AN INCREASED FORCE.
Deductlng tho permanent details from the
two hundred priyatcs, the maximum number OF
pAirolmen allowed by law, Il will be seen that
we have hut one hundred and seventy -four pri-
Yates remaining for regular patrol duty. The
plpulalion Of the District, as shown by the
nsus Of 1870, ls i3i, 700; and comparing the
population with the number OF oficers as shown
by the iast statement It will be observed that
there u an approximate average Of one
policeman to each Ioo Of our Inhabitants.
Therc can be no doubt that at the present time
our popuiaiion amounts 10 fully 100000, which
divided hy ia, the number OF active patrolmen,
gives enc private TO every SCo inhabitants, very
nearly. And II we take into the estimate the
fact that we have constantly In oui midst large
number OF transient residents, II will be safe 70
STATE that wc have but one patroiman to each
1000 Inhabitants. II may be well to note thai
large deiaeamcnts are continuously made from
attend ut public receptions Of officers Of III,
Government, foreign ambassadors, prominen
citizens and residents at our capital. The de
pressing that frequently it is found necessary !,
almost entirely uncover our streets, leaving bu
three or four policemen TO guard entire pre-
cincts, and that TOO at night and during seasoI
Of ihe year when police surveillance should b,
most strict and effective. II is estimated tha
under ordinary circumstances the numertca
strength OF a police force should be one police
man 10 each 500 inhabitants. This estimate is
however, for densely-populated cities, and woul'
he no fair criterion for population spread ou
and scattered as within the District, with an In
cldental population also drawing largely upor
the force for the preservation OF order on public
occasions.
Thc special design Of police force is tn,
crime. This object can only he obtained In pro
yortion as q district Is carefully patIoled ant
guarded in every part by the frequent and si
most constant presence OF onlcers. To reacf
this end larger tOrce Ia required In the Dlstrtc
Of Columbia, and without ihis much which d
required and expected OF the force cannot .
accomplished. As the result OF local experience
and observation and information gaincd In othe
cities the board Is satisfied that 10 SECURE pro
lection 70 persons and pIoperty the Patrol for2
ron the District OF SUiuMDm GnOufd D6uf lee
four hundred men.
As an Illustration Of the necessity 70 vhSeA Y
refer the following statistical informa1kea
$50 miles OF str sts aud alleys 10 be patroie'
The building squaIes as numbered Of the plat
the city are Lie, an riding building capaci
are within the limits OF the city public groun,
aud reservations covering an area about Of
fourth as great M that Of the building squar
denscly occupied by dwellings throughout Il
entire city limits, and should be guarded by q
police. But TO accomplish this end, by makiI
experience teaches as best adapted TO secure
proper guard, would require force Of 500 me
An increase to this would be so expensive, hoy
ever, that the board does not wish to be unde
stood as recommending IL.
IL Is only desired to show, by contrast, ho
greatly below the real needs OF the service tf
present force Is. Again, there are ~ priyat,
ton. one half OF this number, or 70 men, on
can be placed on regular duty at night, whe
the largest foIen Is required, Dividing the nun
ber OF miles OF streets and alleys (33O) by Il
number Of men assigned to night duty, Civ,
each man a beat equal 10 four and seven Twelfth
miles in length. In the day time, for yariol
half OF that on duty At night, and consequent
the beats are more than doubled In length,
h.tween nine and ten miles long. 1t Is n
strange that, under such circumstances, citizGi
often complain that they cannot see policema
when wanted. But when II Is considered thi
In these calculations no allowance is made 4
Alal ahE h...h
beats when II Ia dangerous to send one ma
alone, attendance at court, &C., the beats al
necessarily much longer, and IN the end It vi
would not be over supplied. With the preset
force the board Is doing the best that can |
done under the circumstances. The board fee
men Is but moderate estimate, considering u
service necessary 10 be performed.
DIscirLISK OF TnK FORCE.
In the enforcement OF discipline and efflcient
on the part Of the force during the past yei
charges have been preferred aud trials accorde
by the board In II cases, resulting as follows, vi
Dismissed the force, s; dropped from the rolls,
reduced 10 the ranks, |; Teprmanded, 4; fne,
u; complaints dismissed, but cautioned, .; con
plants dismissed, 90.
II has been the constant aim OF the board
remove the force, as far as practicable, from pal
iisan influences Of political character. In q,
strated that IN proportion as police force bt
comes partisan t loses Its efficiency and usefu
ness. with few exceptions the board Is satisfe
that the force IL composed Of good men, VIII
aim at a faithful discharge OF duly. That ever
member Is not such does not result from lac
OF careful effort 10 secure such men,
The physical condition, Intelligence habits
temper and aptitude for police duty are the gen
eTal QUALIFICATIONS examined into before selec
tiOns are male for appointment upon the force
In order that the board may be satisfied upoi
these points the applicant Is required to produc
d petition, signed by ut least nye respectabl
citizens, stating that they have been PERSONAL
well acquainted with the candidate for at leas
two years; that he Is "a man OF good mora
character, correct and orderly In his deportmeni
aud not In any respect violator OF law or goo
order; that he IL u man OF sober, temperate an
industrious hauits; that he Is not addicted 10 tn
habitual use Of intoxicating drinks or othe
huTtful excesscs." one ofthe signers 10 the pc
ution for appointment is required TO make a
hnldavit, In due form, TO the tiuthfulness OF III
statement contained In the petition, and eac
signer pledges himself TO make similar affidayi
II called upon to do so.
The applicant Is then subjected TO q thorough
examination by the board OF surgeons as to HI
physical qualifications. II he Is passed favor
ably upon by the surgeon he Is then required u
appear before committee OF the board o
police for inspection, and 10 answer, under oath
such que IsiiOns as the committee see nt 4
PROFOUND. record OF tho questions an
answers In kept and nled. IL the general ap
pearance and intelligence OF the applicant b
favorable and he has answered the question
propoundcd to him satisfactorily. his name 4
then furnished TO the major and superintendent
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