Morning journal and courier., 1884-01-17
BE STILL, MY HEART
COMMUNICATIONS.
The Police Telegraph,

The Police Telegraph
 To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 few months ago spoke before the Pc. lice commissioners on the advantages which might be derived from using the telegraph tc 'all for police protection. Sincs that time to limited extent. the police telegraph hse been introduced in this city As the report of my remarks was provokingly incorrect, and es it seems desirable that public atten. tion be called to this matter; now write in substance, what was said last fall.
 Both person and property are poorly pro- tected by the police of New Haven. Except in 8 small central area it is generally impos- sible to find a policeman. The person in need of one must send, go, to ths police office and this involves delay of from half an hour to two hours; SC long time that when the officer arrives the occasion for his immediate Ser vices has usually passed by and his presence is useless.
 Our present police force is as numerous and expensive as the taxpayers feel able to support.
 The insuficien nt protection afforded to the people of Ne" Haven is not due to the ineficiency of our policemen The police perform their duties as faithfully and we'll as can reasonably be expected. The difficulty arises chiefly from the fact that New Haven is spread ever 80 large an amount of land that it is physically impossible for the present number of men to properly guard it When 8 man is sent out to patrol several miles of streets his presence at any one point must necessarily be for very short time In fact, it almost amounts to no police protection whatever 4 thief or burglar knows when 8 policeman has passed a certain house on his rounds that no further guardianship of that property will be exercised again for several hours.
 Safety and order depend mainly upon the disposition of the great mass of lsw-respect- ing and peace-l3ving citizens; without their assistance and cooperation the police would be almost powerless A population of 70, GOO turbulent people would require strong miIi- tary force to preserve peace and enforce the laws.
 Rogues are quick to employ every discovery in science and every advancs in art to assist them in prey ing upon the savings of the honest and industrious. Why then should not the better classes of society make use of all new inventions which will help to suppress tumuIt and robbery?
 We should utilize the telegraph in such manner to make an assistant policeman of every good citizen just as we have already converted every one into an assistant fireman. We do not send our paid iremen out into the streets with their steamers patrolling and looking for fires. We leave the discovery of
 
 great majority without pay will cheerfully lend their aid to the Fire department. We keep our paid fremen in engine houses con- nscted with all psuts of the city by the tele- graph When good citizen discovers fire hs ct once volunteers to help put it out and as the most efficient means to that end he teleRrephs the location of the fire to the en- zine houses The fremen start their ever ready horses and in few minutes are at the spot where their service are called for.
 This is similar to what we should do with our police force. In some places patrolmen can not be dispensed with But over the greater portion of the city the patrol system should be abandoned as an obsolete method of repressing evil. All ever the outer DOT lions of the city, at convenient intervals and places, police telegraph stations should be established At the central office, har- messed team should always be in readiness to convey one or more policemen to the place where needed Every teitgeaph box would stand nisbt and day as a silent but vieilant sentry over its neigaborhood, for in it's aid hundred ey es and ears are looking and listen Ing ID every direction Law breakers would go learn that an assistant policeman was ii, elmees every house and that Che click of the