Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-11-01
The Police of Paris.

! The Cornhill Magazine.
The Police OF Paris is under the
! direction OF Perfect, who is appointed
by tie Minister Of the Interior, and who
is required to reside at the Prefecture,
which stands on the Quai de PHorlogf
adjoining the Palace OF Justice and the
Prison OF the Conciergerie. He has I'M
| der his order a force OF nearly 1000
| policemen in uniform, 81 officers OF the
peace, so District Commissioners OF
Police, Commissioners 800 detectives,
| and number Of Ggs.tS secrets, or private
| paid informers, known only to himself
and TO the two or three principal mem.
| bers of his staff. This staff consists OF
the Directors, Sub Directors, and clerks
OF II sections, each Of which transacts q
special class OF business; thus, there is
| the Bureau des Etrangers, Bureau de Ia
Surete Generate, Bureau DIES Garnis,
(tor the supervision OF hotels and lOdg-
ing-houses.) aud so On. For admins
trative purposes, Paris is divided into
20 wards (arrondissements) and 50
Quarters. Each ward has force OF
about 325 policemen, commanded by
an officer OF the peace, and each quarter
Police station, managed by a Com
missalre.. The officer of the peace is the
Captain OF the Police corps in his ward
he wears a sllver.laCed uniform and
sword, ranks with a Captain in the
Army, and is always weli-educated
gentlemen, Of a status much superior to
an English Superintendent. He is never
chosen from the rank OF the Police
S.rgeants, bat is generally selected from
what one may cali the upper or gentle
men detectives OF the Prefecture or else
from among the secretaries and clerks
to the Directors. His pay amounts to
about E200 year, and he Is lodged In
the Marie OF his ward, where he is pro.
yided with comfortable suite OF apart
ments, with coal and gas free. His
duties are TO superintend the men OF
his brigade, to go rounds OF inspection
in order to see that they are on their
beats, and on important occasions, when
great crowds have to be kept i'll order or
when riots have to be suppressed, he
takes command OF his brigade in the
streets. Three times dag he sends
reports 10 the Chief oil the municipal
Police at the Prefecture concerning all
that has occurred within his ward. In
addition to the brlgades in the 20 wards,
there is Brigade Centrale' OF $50 men
and an officer, who, like the A Division
OF the London Police, form a reserve
available for special duty. AS the area
and population OF Paris are barely equal
TO half those OF London, the 900 Paris
ian policemen form stronger force than
the ten thousand and odd who guard
the English capital; and we must add TO
them the gendarmes and Republican
Guards, who, though under the Minister
of War, may really be described rs
mounted Police. The Partisan police
men, who used to be called Sersent DE-
rifle, bat is now termed guardien ne Ia
pair, has nothing to do beyond keeping
order in the streets. 1t is the Repub
lican Guards who escort prisoners i'll
the cellular vans from the jails to the
law courts, and stand by them in the
criminal docks; who attend at theatres,
caainoes, and all places OF public amuse'
ment: and who line the streets wheE-
ever there is any pageant. On the
race courses soldiers are generally press
ed into service to keep the course clear,
and thus policemen are never diverted
from their regular beats and duties. 1t
is considered so important that police
man should learn to know all the PEG.
pie in the district where he is stationed
that a mans beat is scarcely ever chang
ed. The average term of service on the
force is fifteen years, and during that
time man will have to walk, daily and
nightly, the same set OF streets, till he
knows the face OF every man, woman,
and child in the locality. BY day, each
sngly; by night they always go in psirs,
at least in the populous quarters. Their
paw begins at $50 a year, and rises
gradually to $50.
FOLLOWING is the table OF distances OF
the survey of the w. 4 l.. T.. railroad.