The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1885-1888, 1885-07-13
A NEW MANUAL.



Rules TO Govern the Police Force In the
Future.
The Commissioners have finished revis.
ing the Police Manual for the government
Of the Police Department. The revision
was necessary, because the old manual
was adopted under the Board of Police
Commissioners and has never been since
revised to conform with the present form
of government and the new systems intro
duccd into the department. Since the
adoption of The old manual the telephone
service has succeeded the telegraph, and
the Gamewcll police patrol wagon system
has been introduced. Besides this, Con-
grcss has created several new Onenscs, and
the building regulations and plumbing
regulations and various District ordi-
nances have been adopted and revised
The rules governing the department it.
self are also modified and new onesadded,
and the manner in which they may be
tried is changed. Instead of the Trial
Board consisting OF three licutcnants being
compelled to try all the charges against
policemen one lieutenant may try minor
Oilenses. The rights Of policemen and
even citizens to make arrests without war;
rants has always been n mooted question,
and much trouble and many mistakes
have been made by policemen and others
by misapprehension of the law govern
ing this question. TO set all doubtsat rest
the Commissioners quote in the new
manual the decision of Judge DIN ON this
question in the Court in General Term.
The court held that when felony was
committed, or dangerous wound given,
it was not only tile right but the duty of
citizen to arrest the offender, and in cases
Of simple breach of the peace they had
tgNr IL
Neither an officer or q citizen can make
an arrest in an oflense of less magnitude
than felony unless it is committed in their
presence.
Several new ofienscs are created on
which officers are subject to trial before
the Trial Board. They are also required
to report any grave inlractions of the rules
on the part of fellow officers. All the
crimes and oilcnScs requiring the attcn-
ton of the police are enumerated for the
information of the officers Special refer
cnco Is made to the new gambling laws,
househreaking laws, larceny from the
person, etc. 4 list of all businesses rcquir-
ing licenses is given for the purpose Of
more eliectually enforcing the license laws.
The trouble which has arisen frequently
between the station-keeper and the officers
as to who shall search prisoners is dis
posed of by fixing the duty on the police
man. The lieutenants are designated as
the proper persons to take colaterals and
in their absence, the sergeant in charge.
In regard to the government of the de-
teCtive Office one lieutenant, one clerk and
at least one detective officer are required
to be present day and night. The prop
erty clerk is required to keep an indi-
yidual record of each officer, the arrests
he makes, &c. Under the head of emer-
gency cases n list of instructions prepared
by the police surgeons are printed for the
information of officers in cases Of acct
dents and injuries to persons until the
surgeons arrive. The question which has
frequently arisen as to whether the police
surgeons or the physicians to the poor
under the Health Department are re-
quired to attend emergency cases is de-
cided so as to require the police surgeons
the rules'that no officer will be paid for
time absent from duty if his disability can
be traced to alcohol.