National Republican., 1876-11-16
METROPOLITAN POLICE.
Icentsnses from Fir,t Psse.l

ICenfinaed from First Pase.1
Amount Of property turned over to
Amount Of property taken from per-
sons and returned to same-........... Ala W
Ipasmucb as the Board of Health has, un-
d er the authority of Congress, special charge
of the sanitary condition Of the District, COM
parstively little has been done in that line,
and that only Of character which required
prompt action. But one member of the force,
Private John Connell, has been detailed for
sanitary duty. He has promptly and salts
fsctorily attended 10. the duties to which he
has been assigned.
Tie following statement will show the num-
Der of sick and destitute persons sent to the
several hospitals and asylums during the year,
the nativity of the same and the number of
nonresident paupers furnished with trans
portation to their homes: Number sent to
Washington asylum, 3SS; Providence hospital,
III; Freedmen's hospital, &c; asylum for the
insane, So; Columbia hospital, 8; colored
orphan asylum, I; total, 693.
The nativity Of persons sent to hospits S and
asylums is as follows: United States, 5++; Ire
land, "a; Germany, 27; England, IL; Italy, 5;
Scotland, 4: Canada, 2; Poland, 1; Austria,
1; Norway, 1; Sweden, /; Switzerland, 1; to-
tai, 693. Number of paupers and unfortunate
persons furnished with transportation to their
homes, procured from the Commissioners of
over the police telegraph lines on police busi-
ness during the year and recorded, 43 ,976. In
addition to the above, a large number have
been sent between different police station
houses, of which no record has been kept at
the central Office.
REcAPITULATIoN.
The following is recapItulation of the work
done by the police force during the year ended
September 80, 1876:
The whole number of arrests during the
year has been Il, IA, of which 12,0o0 were
males; 2,054 were females; 5,147 were married;
S,997 were single; 1855 could read and write;
4,7S9 could not read and write.
The offenses may be classified as follows:
Ofenses against the person, S,S29 males; ,551
females; ofenses against property, 8, ,761 males,
SOB females. OF the cases reported the follow
ing dispositions have been made: 4,912 were
dismissed; were turned over to the military:
1886 were sent to jail for court; 1Sl gave bail
for court; ,727 were sent to the work house;
2S5 geve security 10 keep the peace; az were
sent to the Reform school: 81 not disposed of,
and in ,440 cases various light punishments
have been inflicted, and they have been classed
under the head of miscellaneous.
Fines have been imposed in 1907 cases,
amounting in all to S37 ,910.75, as follows,
viz: In District Of Columbia cases, Sl4 ,92l so;
In United States cases, S6,7S6.25; in District
of Columbia cases appealed, 5000; in United
States cases appealed, 81, 154; total, s37, ,91O75
INCIDENTAL DUTIES.
The number of destitute persons furnished
with lodgings has been during the year Is, 27S;
lost children restored to parents, lTS; sick or
disabled assisted or taken to hospitals, 994
horses, cattle or vehicles found astray and re-
stored to owners, 372; doors left open and se-
cured By police, 1sS; fires attended in the Dis
trict, 1877; accidents reported, 159; inquests at
tended, SO; dead and abandoned persons and
infants found, So.
Before concluding this report feel It to be
my duty to call your attention to the
NECESSITY FOR AN INCREASE OF THE FORCE
above its maximum number as now author
lied by law. As you are aware, the force has
been largely reduced within the past few
weeks in order to keep the expenditures for
its support within the amount appropriated
by Congress. Because of this reduction, COM
bined with other causes probably, thieves have
become numerous aud bold and burglaries and
robberies daring and frequent. It is antici-
pated that offepses of this class will become
much more frequent as winter approaches and
advances.
There should be no delay in filling up the
depleted ranks of the force, and an increase
of the present numerical strength as author
lied by Congress should be urged upon that
body in the most pressing terms. Without
tect property with q reasonable degree of
security during the approaching cold season.
Where a single policeman has from five to
eighty blocks to guard, according to locality,
as is now the case, and at night 1t is impossible
to prevent robberies. In fact, such q condition
of the service rather invites robberies and pill
feripg than the reverse. Indeed, it is remark
able that with the thousands of idle aud needy
people In our midst (not referring to those
who steal from choice rather than labor) that
there are not more robberies than there are,
when we consider the paucity of the force
numerically as compared with the vast terri
tory that must be patrolled, together with the
exacting duties deyolved upon the orgsniza-
ton. This question of an increase of the force
cannot be too speedily considered nor too ear
nestly pressed upon the attention of Congress.
1t gives me pleasure to report that the men,
bers of the force of all grades have, with few
exceptions, satisfactorily performed the duties
required of them during the year. The dis
cipline has been kept at high standard, and
its general department as an organization is a
subject of frequent commendation by both
citizens and sojourners in our midst.