, 1880-12-19
POLICE ALARMS.
Proposed Extension Of the System
to the Business Section.
Splendid Workings Of the New Method
:. on the West Side.
What It Will Cost, and What 1t Will Ac.
complish.

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vision, and ultimately over the entire city
The system Is to be in the hands Of Cap1
John Boufeld, whose successful experienc
at the West Twelfth Street Station make
him the man for the place:
CHICAGO, Dec 18--Io the Pubic: The Chtcag
Police Department, In an experimental manner
! has endeaYored TO demonstrate the use o
electricity in the transaction Of police business
and, after trial Of sixty days iu the Wes
Twelfth Street District, is enabled to announc
the most gratifying success;
- Last August, hr. AustinJ Doyle, SecrctAry o
th9 Department, in q conversation with Mayo
police alarms throughout the city and havlni
the Police Department Ire respond to calls with IN tn
suranco Patrol. The matter was discussed Il
length as to its feasibility. and Prof. john T
Ess ot u TIC Err Alarm Whost
devices 10 admitted by ALL studied out the
mechanical appliances, and scheme was
s6a s5 e
| the Immediate supervision OF Capt John Bon
! held, eiuce the goth day Of October last.
There was vas no appFopr,ndo,n ~ for thls specific
Harrison, however, consented to the expendi-
ture Of savings from other appropriations
upon % tho u5 eroupd tas il 3 the CON.
stunt demand for extra taxation to increase the
police force might be avoided.
IN THE ABSENCE OF THE NEW SYSTEM,
when the services of policeman are required,
an officer, and, in case the officer be engaged in
making an arrest, attending Il fire, or uny other
duty than travelling bis post, the person needing
station, perhaps u mile distant, to procure the
required service, and when 1t is considered that
there are only 100 patruliuen available for night
duty and soveuty-six for day duty as regular
pntrol,nen, and that this small number have the
care OF Mn Immense territory, like the City of
Chicago. It is not surprising that tha cey,
Whero arc the police? Is often heard.
An officer may perform his duties faithfully,
cenies and hurFlaries be committed upon hls
post. Il would be unfair to hold an officer re-
sp0nstble for occasional crimes upon his post
because OF tho immense territory he Is obliged
TO cover. Chicago has smaller police forco
fact that tho population has largely increased.
ana tho further fact that the area Of business
and reside8oe s {W,p property has greatly extended
comprises the territory bounded on the east and
south by the Chicago River, on the north by
West Harrison street, and on the west by Centre
and placed upon Canal. Jefferson, HaIsted, and
Morgan streets. and Centre, Blue 1sland and
Canalport avenues. These houses are built OF
feet high. and each IS large enough TO admit Il
good~sizcd mao. The houses are placed
npon the sidewalk, as near to street cor.
either to telegraph poles or corner stores. The
keys to such houses ure uniform: they are fur
nished 70 respecsablc citizens upon application
ut the station, and record kept OF the names Of
key-holders- : mechanical alarm, to register
the location OF the complaint, Ia inclosed In
6ch box 70 soe o. aa9 m @
Of the officer travelling thar particular post, and
which places the officer in direct communication
With bis commAnder at the station.
THE CITIZEN WHO POSSESSES 4 KEY
through a slit outside the box, procure the at
tendance Of three policemen and horse and
wagon In from one to four minutes after enter
atretcher, blankets. shackles, handouts, ETC.,
and can be used either as an ambulance or con-
fyanse for prlso.ers The alarm are
retain the key until an officer arrives with
a mastcr-kcy. which he Inserts Ia the reverse
side OF the lock @ and releases ths original: this
to keep the complainant at the alarm house un-
til the officers arrive to hear the complaint and
apply the remedy. A lrrge bell will be procured
and erected upon each station, and ut given
signal each officer In the district will be required
to report Immediately at the Alarm-house upon
his post, SO that II any serious crime bs COM
mltted in tho district the officer in command ut
the station can summon each man on post-duty,
and telephone to his whole command at once.
giving information to his men OF the nature Of
the crime committed, and. II known, descrip-
hon OF the criminals. thus putting each patrol
mBn on the alert to arrest the suspected parties
clu5iou, inasmuch as all stations arc connected
with the Central by private telephone lines, If
this system be thoroughly introduced in all dis
learn the particulars OF serious crimes in few
moments after their perpetration. so TINT the
escape Of criminals may be rendered extremely
difficult. III order to show the lnadequacy Of
the police force for duty under the ordinary pa
troll System in vogue in every city in the world
as applied to Chicago, append list Of the
STATIONS, TERRITORY, AND POPULATION,
with the number OF men available for night and
dayfduty in euch district, as follows:
Harrison Street StaHon-Area. one and one
fourth square miles: $1,000 inhabitants: night
Twenty second Street stadon-Area, two and
three fourths square miles; 6U.000 inhabitants;
night posts, twenty .one; day posts, nine
square miles: eo,o0o inhabitants; night posts,
West Twelfth Street station--Area, two square
miles; 45,o00 inhabitants; night posts twenty
Hinmnn Street Station-Area, six and one
hnif square miles; 5000 inhabitants; night
posts. fourteen; day posts. four.
UeertDg Street Stadon-Aroa, two and three
fourths square miles; l5.000 inhabitants; night
posts, ten; day posts, fous. .,o Avon M. NM
one-half square miles: 60,0lD inhabitants; night
posts, twenty-five; day posts, twelve.
Wsst dnks stree 4nF and n9s
posts, thirteen; day posts. thirteen.
West Chicago Avenue station-Area, two and
fifteen -stxtcenths squire miles; 45,0D 1nhapit-
ants; night posts, ten; dny posts, i've.
East Chicago Avenue stauon-Aren, IA one and
oue- fourth square miles; $1,000 inhabitants;
night posts, fifteen: day posts. seven.
Larrabee Street StatiOu-Aren. one and three
twentieths square miles: 40,u00 Inhabitants; |
night posts. nine: day posts four
Webster Avenne Station--Areu. one and ono
teuth square miles: 3O.UO0 Inhabitants; night |
posts, seven; day posts, two. |
Kawson Street Station-Arca, three and three
sfxteepths square miles; I.OU inhaoltants' |
night posts, six; day poSts three |
It should be borne in mind by the taxpayer
that. taking the general expenses OF running thc
department into account, each person upon the
oay roll OF the Department averages an expense
10 tho city Of $L,UU0 per annutn. Win tho new
system introduced generally throughout the t
,lty, our present Police Department could
PERFORM THE SAME DUTY AS TWO THOU
SAND PATROLMEN
duty under the ordinary patrol sya-
en-, for the reason that citizenS could procure
he services OF officers when necessary very
light extra expense will be entalled for the care
il apparatus and feed OF horses should the new
ysteln be generally introduced.
Tho efficacy OF our Fire Department, ADMIT
edly the finest In the world. depenu5 10 a lar8e
MEASURE upon the rap!dity with whlcn the alarm
3 given. Why should not this new alArnl MAKE
ur Department as efficient, valuable, and 1ul1y
as the Fire Department?
THE WEST LAKE STREET DISTRICT
ncludes the territory lying west OF Loomis and
heldou streets to Central Park, anu between
harrison and Indiana streets IN tho vest Uisls,
M, comprising an area OF three mics east ana |
rest. BY one and a quarter miles uorta ano
outh This district is a fruitful iield for burg
ars, and is guarded nightly BY only thirteen pa-
rolIneu, and it seemed proper ano necessary 60
atuI,lisf1 t}7e uew alarm 8ystem therein with the