Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-07-07
THE POLICE FORCE.
WHAT TEE MeMBEks COMPLAIN OF.

WHAT TIE MeMBEks COMPLAIN OF.
ResigDation Of several alOod Oacsrs-Com-
PlAint that the Salaries Are Too Low.
Officers George Cramer, constable and
police officer Of the Second ward, B. Frank
Leaman, police officer of the Third ward,
have resigned their positions on the city
police force. Both have been excellent
officers and are highly spoken of by the
mayor, who has not IS yet accepted their
designations, and holds them under ad-
visement.
Police Officer and Constable John Nc.
Devitt's suspension for 60 days for mis-
conduct expired On July I, but owing to
his failure to settle his account of cOllec-
tion of taxes the suspension is continued.
The Policeman's Lot Il Not y Happy Ono.
There is complaint among all the OIL
GERS of the force now that they do not
receive salaries for the work they do. 1t
has created considerable dissatisfaction
among them. This may have something
to do with tho resignation of some of them.
When councils met on Wednesday even.
inh Councilman Cochran, of the 9Th ward,
offered a resolution to the effect that the
city police shall hereafter be paid $50 per
month instead of their present salary ($4O).
This resolution was quickly laid on the
table where it now is. This action put q
damper on the policemen and in a CONVEX
sation with several members of tho city
police force this morning q reporter Of this
paper was enlightened in regard to the
duties of an officer. There are nineteen
members Of the city police force, including
the chief of police. Half of the
force is on duty every day and
night and the chief is on at night. One
shift of officers goes on duty at Z clock in
the morning. They all serve until4 O'Clock
the next morning, when six Of them are
relieved and three are kept on until the
new shift comes on at Z. During the
night as we'll as the day time the officers
must report at the station house at differ
ent times and between these hours they
are expected to 60 through their wards
if not assigned to other duty. Every Sat
urday evening between 7 and II and upon
holidays tho whole force is on duty and
receive no extra pay for it. They must
be out in all kinds of weather and are ex.
pected to be ON the move. For this work
the officers receive $40 per month,
out of which sum they must pur-
chase their uniforms. Tho men re-
quire two uniform suits in a
year and some purchase three. The goods
used in this manufacture are OF the best
quality. About every two years the officer
is Obliged to purchase an OvercOat, which
can not be had for much less than $50. In
case of an officers clothing been torn in
making an arrest, it is his loss. The off.
GERS are at all times expected to look neat
and clean, and they do, for there is no finer
looking police force in the state than that
of Lancaster. The men say that they are
unable to get along with their present
salary which, counting 80 days in a month.
is but .33 per day, or 80 with month
of 81 days. Of course, many officers have
made considerable money over their
salaries out of cases in which they have
acted. This business is not rs good now
as heretofore, and even when in its prime
there were men OH the force who made
but few dollars in a month for arrests.
The officers think that remedy for all
this would be to pay them a good salary,
say $50 or $65 per month. This would
give them sufficient to live upon, and
they would no doubt be satisfied to turn
the fees which they receive from arrests,
&c., over to the city. As it now is they
say they receive an insufficient salary
and there is little chance to make much
over.
A Good Runner.
Officer Bankson H. Smith is earning the
title of champion runner. Yesterday he
chased an escaping prisoner from the
Reading railroad coal schutes to Diller-
Vile, at which point he overlook him and
gObbled him up. This morning while TAX
ing prisoner to Jail the fellow broke away
from him and ran like lightning out Plum
street, but Smith overlook and collared
him and landed him safely in Jail.
Mayors Court.
The mayor had four cases Of drunken.
ness before him this morning and in
flicted the usual sentence of fiue and i'm
prisonment. One vagrant was discharged J..
2TRASRURG NEWS.