Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-05-01

cecdInG s6,DUO-A ya,uaDie Im-
proveiAent -Enurs.iay NIaht's scs-
slOm of City COUNCIL.
---.---s--
There was pleasing change in the
hu4iness OF Council, Thursday night, when
the heated fire department fight which
has held the boards for SO many nights,
gave way TO the subject OF police patrol
Bystem. 1t was brought up bg the follow
ing report from the police committee:
By a resolution of Council your police
committae Has authorized to inquire into
the cost OF introducing q police patrol sys-
tenn. Your cunmittae void report having
visited Camden, Philadelphia aud New
York and made IL thorough investigation Oh
the diferent syFtems aaopted In tho three
different cities. In Cemdea We found tae
municipal company system OF Boston,
which In our opinion Is detective and un-
satisfactory. In Philadelphia and New
York we found the d4mewell system which /
Il perfect Ii every respect and according
to the authorities, give. entire satisfaction.
Your committee would recommend that |
Council, through the police commttte, De
authorized to advertise for proposals Tor
the Introduction OF patrol system COM
posed Of not m1re than IL booths aud tele-
phone connections with central station in
struments and stable instruments, res,
Sc. The whole not to exceed $4,000, said
or before July lat, 1890, tho same 10 bs
paid out Of tho appropriations OF 1880 81,
and the construction Of the same be super
Intended by j. w. Aydon, superintendent
OF the Fire Alarm Telegraph, and we would
further submit report made TO thia COM
mittee by Iir. AYdon.
The report, on motion of Mr.. sawdon,
| was unanimously adopted.
Accompanying the report was report
prepared by Fire Alarsa Superintendent
4 j. w. Aydon and submitted TO tho police
COMMITTEE, in obedience to the commit
tee's request. The superintendent Etstad
that he had Investigated the subject Of
police patrol Bystems and reached the
following conclusions:
As result OF my Investigations, am
convinced tnat no more valuable addition
TO the police department could be made
than the introduction of an efficient tele-
graph patrol system. A system embracing
Il ten or dta3n stattons, with all tha nece3-
sHry appliances, would be fully equal TO the
addition ot at least TWeuty cilt3ers 10 the
police force, with Tie very desirable con-
slderation, that while sucn az addition to
the force would cost about SiG,G0O per
annum, the system / have suggested could
he pur In operation at a cost OF pot moro
tnen S6,0C0 with an annual expense for
maintenance 80 trliitng as TO be hardly
worthy OF consideration.
The police patrol system Ia Its operation
not only iusures g iaush greater degree Of
police protection, but enables the depart
, ment to obtain the most complete and sy5-
, tematic service from the policemen on
/ duty. BIZ iudiclous atranGement Ok signals
] patrolmen on duty Gull at the boofls or
stations at stated intervals aud call up the
, central station, thus making 1t csrLstR thst
they arc patroling their beats AMI keeplnR
i constantly on the lookout for broacGes OF
, the peacn. In oct al police operations the
system i9 invalnable, AS an officer With q
prisoner In charge can send tu signal ana
! quickly simmon tho patrol waSonI Wlien
takes tho prisoner to uhe station and per-
mits the officer to rarucn to his beat. ln
cases OF riot, burglary, serious fires or any
other disturbing circumstances tho teie-
n graph pntrol system furnishes q meah5 OF
. prompt and sura communication between
tho respective districts and the central sta
4 tion, thus securing CONCENTRATION OF the
t force and u raHssing OF tho officers a. a
1 aivenss point Whera extraordinary police
a precautions may be needed with prompt-
r ness that cannot be obtained by any oLh5r
: means.
. Still fnrther is tho system an Invaluable
: pretectlon to persons and property, ,particu
< lary in tho thlniY-settled and remote por-
II lions Of the city. All the boxes ars SO
d arranged that what Is called 'citizen's
A calf can ha sent from any one OF them to
|
= OF this feature OF the system can b p!acel
In the hands Of trustworthy residents o.
u various parts of the city. SHould citlzsr
t with one OF these KEYS in his possession dts
Q cover Il burglary, Il fire or disturbance o.
4 the paGce, or be assaulted by proWling ruf
d fans ne could, simply by rlaelng his key Il
:. tno box and giving 1t n slight turn, notify
4 the central station that police assistance
was needed at the designated locality a
once. Il can be readily seen how such
System would aid IN preserving the peac'
and protecting persons and property, an'
how each booth or Gall box would prove {
p faithful gu uariiau md protector to the
" noighporhood In which It WAS located.
y ThB system comprises either uncovered
% call boxes loca ed on poles or against th
y walls of houses or from booths, In whlcl
% the signalling apparatus Is located anl
le himself. Dhe booths are decidedly superio
at to the uncovered boxes, and II the systen
|, Ia introduced here would recommend tina
,e they be procured. Thsy afford NOR
II complete protestion OF the apparatus fron
- tho elements aEd also secure privacy Whel
- an oflletr desires 70 converse with tn
70 officer tn charge ut the oentra station, T.
70 the system includes telephone eerv!oa fror
" the boxes or booths Us well as conplag
ID system Of arbitrary signals. la aldlto
D. the booths aro so arranged that an oifice
~ on hts beat can be summoned by tho cen
ttal station at any time his prtSenc
thers may be desired, or wha
u Il necessary to send him instructions. D
sinply pressing hu'ton tho officer i
charge can be caused 10 be displayed upon
q, boota q ssnaphora signal By dGy and
ne ilata Hight hy night, Witch Is notice 10 III
u, officer OF the best, when he passes tho
ne booth, that tho central stRtlo, desires
10 communicate with him. TIE officer open
N the booth, gives the answering slgnHl au
by telephone receives whatever instructor
y tho central station may have for him. An
80 one Will at once perceive what ereat at
no vantage Will be derived itom such con
.t. plete rgeans OF communication between ID
sn Contra! station Eni rhe officers on duty
80 all parts at the utiy.
~ OF course in the consideration OF th
" sutjaet an important question Is: Which {
the systems in uae Is tho best2 Upon tai
point have also maia careful inqu!ry, al
pll tho Information have receivsu Il to th
n affNct that the system manufactured by ID
as GGmewel Police lnd Fife-Alarm TalaSrap
m Company OF New YORK, Is undoubtedly IL
II superior 10 any othar, and Is used 10 nlp
-, olIies out OF every ten that have polio
ss telegraph system Of any kind. This Is p'
oy due to any monopoly on tha part OF u
Is GamSTell company, bnt simply TO the fa
eH that the superior merits OF their produ
to tions have enabled them to overcome ia
~ and open competition, IA many instances
4. figures mueh higher than those ptopost
:, BY thsir competitors. l here append q
rr,tcts from the letsers | received from var
Gus cities where the Gsulewel system is
successful operation, all OF which tsstily
the most hIttering terms 70 Its unioubte
ed merits:
n Here followed letters from the foliowin
T, persons and plHeeS recommending Il
= GqmeTell system: Henry Il. 5 xoy, Chi