The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-25
BROOKLYN LETTER.

Tho Police Department OF the city
It's Numerical Strength and EFF.
ficieney, and the Wen who MAN.
age It-Every Facility Given the
Police Reporter in His Work-The-
odOre ThOmass Welcome at the
-'hilharmonic.
Special Correspondence Of the Star.
BROOKLYN, N. Y, March %, 1880. :.
The modern policeman is a necessary
evil. Theoretically he materially assists
in the enforcement of law and the preser-
walton of order, and being in himself an
embodiment of both becomes an instru-
ment in the hands of Providence for has
tening the. approach of the millennium.
Practically the thoroughness with which
he discharges his duties is proportioned
to his own intellectual and moral fitness
and the degree he is unhampered by poll
tics. There is often, therefore, a wide
difference between fact and theory, and
the city in which disorder and crime
run riot has itself to blame, not its police,
for the condition of things. This much
by way of preface.
Brooklyn's police force, though not the
largest in the United States, being nu-
merically overshadowed by that of New
York, has the reputation of being one of
the best disciplined and most successful.
Its members are protected against ,politl-
cal interference, the law providing
against removal from the force except
upon charges sustained under oath, and
the force would be entirely beyond the
reach Of politics were 1t not that the ap-
pointment Of the Board of Commission
ers is vested in the Common Council
upon nominations made by the Mayor.
The police constitute one of two branches
of government entrusted to these Com
missioners. The other branch being the
supervision Of the liquor traffic, and
hence the department is styled the De-
partment Of Police and License. 1t is
my purpose, however, to direct attention
only to the police feature Of the depart
ment, and to make the subject clear let
me give you some statistics:
The force numbers 635 men, viz. One
Superintendent, at salary of "a, 900; one
Inspector, at salary of $4,000; one Drill
Captain, at salary of$l, 800; one Super
intendent Of Telegraph, at a salary of
81, 300, and four operators, at a salary of
5000 each; thirteen Captains, at salary
of $4,000 each; three Sergeants in COM
mand of sub-precincts, one Sergeant in
command of squad and ffty-si ordinary
Sergeants at a salary of $1,500 each !;
fifteen first-class detectives, at salary of
81, 500 each; thirteen second-class detect
ives, at a salary Of $1,000 each; thirty
roundsmen, at salary of 1,100 each;
four hundred and fifty-three patrolmen,
first class, at a salary of 81, 900 each; six
teen patrolmen, second-class, at a salary
of $3.50 each. and thirty-two doormen, at
a salary of $500 each. The President of
the Board Of Commissioners receives a
salary of $5, 900 and is an ex-officio MEM
ber, with the President of the Common
Council, of the Board of Health. Each
of the two Associate Commissioners re-
ceive salary of $4,000. The office Of
Commissioner is good for two years, sub
ject at the end of that time to the action
of the Mayor and Common Council.
The total appropriation for this year
for the maintenance of the entire De
partment of Police and Excise is $780,.
400. Last year $754,902 was expended
A few facts bearing ON the efficiency
of the force are nextin order. The 635
members have an area Of 209 square
, miles to guard, of which 4,147.2 acre:
, are in streets and alleys, whose united
r length is about 600 miles. The number
of buildings is eighty thousand. Ye
3 Notwithstanding this immense area, al
r area that 635 men would be inadequate
to guard were it not that about a dozel
e men out of the 425 who do actual patro
:, duty are mounted on horses, last yea
0 25,706 arrests were made, an average o
e 40 per man reckoning on the basis Of 63
men; property valued at $685. 1872 04 re
e covered out of property valued at $50,
e 073 81 reported stolen, and 1858 vacan
t houses guarded in the .absense Of the oc
d cupants to the protection Of all but on'
e against thieves, and in that single in
y stance the robbers were eventually car
;, tured. The population Of the city
d about $50, 1000.
Idoubt very much if the police fore
of any other large city can make bette
showing for the past year-if l were nc
!. modest should say SO good showing
And yet am not so blinded by locs
l. pride as not to see that the material c
e which this force is composed is suscept
t. BILE of Improvement, for while care is e1
o ercised in the selection of men to sc
$ that they are without physical blemisl
l or moral defect SO far as reputation goe
y mental acuteness farther than ability
r read and write, is not demanded.
le Police headquarters occupies larG
le part of the immense municipal buildin
D. adjoining the County Courthouse an
1t Immediately opposite the City Hall. I
IN insure privacy its domain is confined
n tile upper foors-second, third an
d. fourth-private as well as public stai
y cases leading to the corridors along whit