Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-20

SHARP STRUCTURES UPON ITS MANAGEMENT-T
NEEDS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ABsURDTTY or
MOUNTED POLICEMEN FOR CITY SERVICE.


NEEDS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ABsURDITY Oh
MOUNTED POLICEMEN FOR CITY SERVICE.
To the Editor OF The EVENING STAR:
proposition is before Congress providing for
an increase OF the numerical strength of our
police force. The enactment of this proposition
into law win involve an additional outlay for
the support of the police of about S125. 600.
Now, there can be no doubt that the force as
managed, is inadequate to the proper police
surveillance and protection of the District.
There is far less doubt that the force as now
placed on duty and worked is, without regard
to the paucity of its numbers, inefficient. The
most careless observer cannot fail to note the
perfunctory manner in which ordinary street
duty is performed. Our police force, as body.
has become inert. 1t needs to have breathed
into it the breath Of new lie.
MOBILIZATION
Is its great need. II we look for the cause Of
this sluggishness the diagnosis will, without
doubt, indicate that the force, as an organiza-
ton. is affected with vertigo.
AS a condition precedent to an increase of the
force. Congress should require the exercise Of
greater. skill, energy and efficiency in its man
agement. AS now managed. not q moderate
share even of its latent ability and strength for
police duty Is brought under requisition. A
very. slight insight into the manner in which the
force is handled will convince practical mind
that large portion of its availability for pro-
tective purposes Is frttered away through in
judcious and improvident management. Let
us examine for moment. The force is now
composed of two hundred priyates or patrol
men, besides officers and detectives. OF the
privates. fifty or more are mounted. Now.
while mounted policemen can be used in hand
ling large crowds OF people on occasions of riot,
public professions, &C., with good results, yet
for ordinary patrol duty in city. mounted
policeman is of hardly more utility than one of
our numerous equestrian statues, and certainly
Is not nearly as ornamental.
NO CITY, SAVE THIS, IN THIS COUNTRY,
and probably none In the civilized world, patrols
its streets by mounted policemen. Here it is no
uncommon thing to see at least two policemen
and two horses engaged in transferring one
drunken man to the lookup. One man arrests
the drunkard and the other holds the horses. AS
matter of economy and efficiency it were bet
ter that these men were mounted on bicycles.
These would not run away from their riders, nor
would their keep be expensive. 1t is quite true
that beyond the city limits mounted men may
be efficiently aud economically used for reasons,
that 1t is unnecessary to state now, aud which
will suggest themselves to any practical mind.
Now, If we are correctly Informed, ten mounted
men are doing all the patrol duty beyond the
city limits. If 80, there are
FORTY MOUNTED MEN
doing patrol duty within the city limits, and
whose time is practically almost wholly squan-
dered. Nor is this all. 1t is stated in police
reports that more than thirty men are assigned
to post duty. besides numerous details that are
made to attend at private entertainments. re-
ceptiOns. &c. At most, not more than ten men
should be assigned to post duty. This number
Attend N m ar dr,fy
sary at the Executive Mansion, Police Court and
one or two other points. Thus it will be OBJ
served that the services of twenty men are
wlthdraWn from the effective force for this kind
OF duty, which, with forty men foolishly mount
ed and other men recklessiy assigned to post
duty. withdraws the services of sixty men
whose time is virtually squandered. And again
1T costs the District about $4,000 per annum to
feed the horses Of the forty mounted men who
do duty within the city limits That amount OF
money could secure the services of ten add-
tionalfOotmen. Consequently 1t must be admitted
that under intelligent management the services
OF seventy men could be added to the effective
force without the addition of one dollar in in
creased expense. To this aggregate Of seventy
men should be added the time of about twenty
men. daily totally lost in waiting about the
Police Court as witnesses. Here, then, we have
grand total of ninety men whose time is prac-
tcally lost to the police service through incom-
petent and reckless mana cement
THE TINE OF NINETY MEN
out ola force of two hundred trittered away
hEishly and unnecessarily! There should be no
surprise that crimes and disorders Increase, and
that dstrust and decentralization exist in the
police organization under such management
Our citizens should thank their stars that mat
tiers are no worse. This state of affairs calls
loudly and imperatiyely for a change Ought
not Congress to look to this matter before our
people are required to assume an additional ex-
pense and burden in support of sOthfuly man.
aged police? ObSerye-Out of two hundred
policemen only one hundred and ten on an
average engaged in effective police work-not
counting time lost from sickness 1t is strange
indeed, that with the limited force at their COM
mand. our Commissioners are permitted to
squander nearly One-half Of its available
strength.
And the question naturally arises, would the
time of an additional force be
ANY MORE PROMINENTLY EMPLOYED
if authorized by Congress? If the present force
were properly put on duty and relieved of it's
time-gathered inertia, it may well be questioned
whether or not its numbers ne ed to beincreased.
During the late civil war, and for several years
subsequent thereto, the police force was not. If
we are rightly informed, as large as it now Is.
Certainly during those years the amount of DO
lice work required was as great, and in fact.
much greater, than it is now. The records Of
the police department show that the number of
arrests then made was nearly double the num-
Der now made annually. During the war thous-
ands Of soldiers and camp-followers of the
army were in our midst. After the war
closed the debris of the army In
large measure, fingered in our community.
Turbulent. reckless, and oftmes vici-
Gus, this element had to be brought under SUBJ
lection to the civil laws. Now we have a COM
munity mainly of law-abidn9 and order-loving
citizens. and yet crimes and disorders are more
numerous now than then.
While the committee of Congress on this Dis
trict Is considering our police status, let it in
quire as to points suggested above. x.
TIE NEW YORK DOT. SHOW.
Avery Large and Fine Display.
From the N Y. Post. 18th.
The sixth annual New York Bench Show Of