St. Paul daily globe., 1885-05-31
The Arguments Adduoed in Favor of
Increasing the st. Paul Police
Force.
Snly One to Fourteen Hundred of Popu-
lation-A Smaller Proportion Than
Customary.
The New Districts Without Police
Protection--M Mounted Men TO
be Asked For.
Interviews with Prominent C1t1zens
1.-The liner eased Expense an
objection.

One Of the questions the new councll
will be called upon to consider VIII De
proposition to enlarge the police force. AS
that is a question which, as much as any
other, interests the community at large ~
may not be out-Of place to give III plloc :
some of the arguments of the promoters OF
the proposition. AS at present constlIuteu
the police force consists OF elgnty-slA liieli'
as follows: One chief, captain, iieu-
tenants, Sergeants, detectives, anu 80
natrolmen. OF the latter there are 8
detailed for special duty, night laller, l
license collector, 1 sidewalk and street
.Ssspector. two to go with the patrol wagon
and two stationed at the union depot ms
leaves but siXty-seven men for regular
patrol duty. According to the system
adopted in most cities, the patrolmen are
divided into three equal watches. one OF
which goes on at O'Clock p. m, another at
9p. IN. and the third at a. m, so that
ONLY a third of the force is on duty during
the day. In consequence, except between
the hours of p. m. and a. m, twenty
one or twenty-five patrolmen only are
on duty at one time, and are supposed
NOT only to arrest criminals, but to prevent
crime There should be borne in mind,
too. the immense change in the floating
population of the city day by day. There
are 2G8 trains arriving and departing daily
from the depot besides the steamboats,
THE NEW TERRITORY UNPROTECTED.
Now the city proper, before the additions
made last winter, covered territory OF
tWenty-three square miles, which would
make an average of about one square mile
to each officer on day duty. OF course, IN
the central part of the city, the
men are more compactly distrib-
II
of the residence parts is of necessity spread
out pretty thin. A few sample beats may
be noticed. The man on Bridge square,
one of the most important beats. has to
cover Third. Fourth and Fifth Streets
from Washington to Cedar street. Another
covers from Fifth to Tenth streets. on
Wabasha. ST.. Peter, Exchange and Frank
lin streets Two men are expected to see
that no breaches of the peace are commit
ted on st. Anthony hill, and two more are
supposed to protect East st. Paul from
the evil doer.
Then there are the newer portions
of the city, the district added by
the legislature, whose inhabitants,
being citizens of st. Paul and
paving their proportion of its taxes, think
themselves entitled to police protection,
which they don't get. as it is impossible
with the present facilities to give them even
a nominal protection. For the benefit OF
these, it will be proposed to add a squad Of
mounted men to the department Tor duty In
the outskirts an arrangement lnaugurated
in Minneapolis by ex-Mayor Ames and prov
ing of great efficiency.
Considering the question from another
standpoint ST. Paul has about one police
man to !. 400 population, ratio much
4la,, ;,,4 4ha Of larn off
country. For instance, in New York the
proportion is about to 49, in Boston 1 to
500. in Philadelphia to 500 In Chicago,
until a year ago, the proportion was about
l to L. 900. when 800 men were added to the
force. In Minneapolis the force numbers
is to our sc.
There are also arguments in favor OF
increasing the facilities of the force in other
wavs. 1t is thought, for instance, that
three new stations are needed. at which
complaints can be made, prisoners confined,
and sergeants stationed. These would GER
tainly add much to the convenience with
which the force is handled, and, it will be
urged, would probably repay the expense
of maintaing them in the increased efficiency
it would give to the department.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT 1T.
Welfred L. Wison-By all means. There
are few things we want as much as we do
an increased police force. There are cer-
tain parts of st. Paul that it is almost dan
gerous to travel over in the night. The
streets there are SO badly lighted that it is
really dangerous. 1t is especially in such
places that the additional police are needed
Take for instance Rice street and Univer-
sity avenue. Both these thoroughfares are
coming to be very important ones. Both
are infested by a crowd of men and half
grown boys who are nightly prowling the
streets and making a great noise.
Mark Costello think by all means that
the police force should be enlarged. l have
no doubt an increase is absolutely nee
essary.
D. L.. Kingsbury-I don't know about
this matter. | believe that if the present
force was properly handled it could cover
the whole territory and cover it properly.
If there, is not inefficiency, there is some
thing very much like it. At any rate l
would like to have it tried once and see
how it operated.
Joseph Fairchild-I don't know much
about the matter and have not thought any
thing about it: [ should be of the opinion,
though, that if the present force were prop
erly handled it would be sufficient for all
the needs Of the people. 1 am aware that
the territory of the city has been consider
ably increased by the addition of new terri
tory, but that added is in the sub
urbs and is very sparsely settled, and needs
the presence of the police no more now
than it did before it was added to the CITY,
On the whole, do not think we need any
additional police.
D. D. Merrill-Yes. We need an increase
of police very much indeed, now that the
eIty limits have been extended, especially
in West St. Paul. Over there we ought to
have double as many policemen as we had
last year.
A. L.. Larpenteur Possibly in one or
two points like West st. Paul we ought to
have more policemen, but I question
whether we ought to increase the general
force doubt If it is necessary.
d. r. Noyes-I am heartily in favor OF
an increase of the force have no doubt
we need it. We have greatly enlarged the
limits of the city and the people out in
those sections are entitled to protection.
Merriam and Union Parks, the
Transfer ground, Hanline and soon
St. Anthony Park, Arlington hills,
East ST. Paul, Dayton's bluff and
West St. Paul, all need protection, and
this they cannot have with the force we
now have. st. Paul has come to be a
very large city, and it has grown so rap
idly within few years that our people
cannot and do not realize it.
George R. Finch-I am not sufficiently
familiar with the members and efficiency
Of the present police force and the re-
auirements of the city to give an opinion
that would be very valuable. I Should
think, however. that it ought to be in
creased. We have greatly enlarged the
area of the city and have taken in CON
siderable population, and therefore, should
think. we would naturally need larger
police force.
Manrice Anerhach-If it will innl,na CO the