The morning call., 1890-08-17
ON THE LONDON POLICE.
Long Hours, Small Pay and n Hard Lo,
for Many Of Them.

Long Hours, Small Pay and n Hard Lot
for Many Of Them.
The total yearly expenditure of the Metro
politan police is over a million and half
sterling, of which G572, 600 is paid by the
Government toward the cost of pay and
clothing. a local rate Of just under Cd in
the pound produced 100000. Per man,
a constable cost 9l06 per annum, of which
Els los is discussed in pay, SO in spperan-
nuation charge and So in clothing equip
ment. On joining the force the policeman
is supplied with two greatcoats. two tunics,
q cape, two pairs OF trousers, two pairs of
boots. two helmets, truncheon, armletS,
whistle, lantern-guard, belt ETC., which
articles are renewed periodically or when
worn out. If a polieeman's clothes are
damaged in the course OF duty the damage
is made good at the public expense. II they
are damaged carelessly or wear out too
quickly the constable has to pay. In the
city police, which have reputation for
efficiency extending long previous to
the Peel days, the pay is somewhat
higher, but no member of that force
has legal right TO a pension, the pensions
being granted al the discretion of the cor
Commissioner. The city constable has an
allowance for boot money in addition to his
pay. The city men are, as a rule, finer set
than the metropolitans, but the difference
will soon cease, as the standard for both
forces is now the same. There are differ
ences in uniform easily noticeable: the he'll
NETS differ; the city man has no letter, he
has yellow buttons and his armlet is red
and white instead Of blue and white. The
city force is in charge of the corporation,
but like all the police of thedsingdom, mu-
nicipal or county, it is really under the final
control OF the Home Secretary. II numbers
about nine hundred all told. The Metro
politan police are more directly under the
control of the Home Secretary Taking
no account of outpostS, the field Of work ex-
tends for fifteen miles round Charing Cross,
exclusive Of the city OF London. and em-
braces a mileage of streets aud road, of over
$500 miles and an area OF over 6SS square
miles, extending from Colony Heath in the
north 10 TodwOrth Heath in the south, and
from Lark Hall in the east TO Staines Moor
i'll the west. To keep the peace in this
territory about 1850 men are available,
from which fourteenth have to be de-
Quoted owing TO each man having holiday
of day in every fortnight. And from this
balance the men off duty must be taken to
discover the small number by which the
work is done. From 6 in the morning TO 10
at night there are really not 5000 men at
work, being rather more than seven men
to every square mile. No wonder it
is not easy to find policeman!
But the remedy is obvious either
the mileage should be diminished or
the men Increased. Mr.. Monro says that
about 60 per cent of the force is on duty
from 10 at night to O'Clock next morning;
but during the day the ordinary beat duty
of the whole of the METROPOLIS devolves
upon some 1861 men. In addition to these
numbers, however. $50 constables on
:" fixed points" and eighty eight at hackney
carriage standings are on duty in the streets
from o'clock in the morning to o'clock
in the afternoon. The young constable's
duty begins with attending police
court and watching the evidence under
the instruction of an older COM
rade. who directs his attention to
the points worth notice. After a school
ing in this way in polce-court practice. he
goes on beat duty, also with a companion.
Then he is trusted alone, probably ON easy
night duty, and as lie gains experience he
is moved TO buster beats. When on day
duty, between A. NJ. and 10 p. NJ, he has
alterations of four hours on duty and
four hours off OF this lie has q
month. followed by two months of night
duty. When on night duty he has TO work
without relief from 10 to 6. Another month
OF day duty begins another round. Such
are the normal working hours of London
policeman Leisure Hour.