The daily critic., 1890-09-20
OUR POLICE FORGE
The INADEQUATE NUMBER OF MEN 10
PATROL A LARGE TERRITORY.
an Unjust E,a,ction Upon Police Ser
Eeanta, who Deserve Praise Rather
Than Censure-what a Corre-
spondent says.

F6i'or Critic There have been a
large numberof robberies and ATTEMPTED
robberics reported during the past few
months in the columns Of the press OF
this city, Notwithstanding that the police
force has been increased i'm numbers
In looking over The broad cxpanse which
the Capital CITY and It's surroundings
cover, including the comfy, which
stretches 20 the border of Maryland, &c
seems a mystery to me that more derye
datious are not committed, considering
The inadequate number 90 police OH GERS
on duty to protect the citizens property
and valuables of the C1nihl of fnis
great nation. The question may be
asked and readily answered Who Is
responsible for this state Of afIairse
answer right here. II is not the fault of
the police force, for, taking into con
sidcratiOu the number available for
patrol duty, it is certainly not at all
adequate 90 the demands In point OF
numbers We are told upon Inquiry
that our police force numbers some
where in the neiuhbOrho0d Of 500 or
Geo men, but from this number we are
TO deduct the majors, captains. lieu
tenants privates detailed as clerks in
Police Headquarters. palrOlmen on the
sick report ON leave and men who
never leave the station until the patrol
wagon is called out We have no less
than three Scrge1Hts dt each precinct
All these considerably lessen the mum
her Of men who are available daily for
street duty. and which necessitates a
large portion Of our city to be intrusled
10 one solitary policeman. Now, AS
have already stated. the different a..
visions Of this city, as at present allotted
to the police for control, are entirely
too large for the number Of meu on
street duty"
We now have the police patrol aud
signal system established throughout
the city except in two precincts The
men on patrol duty are required To turn
In their report every hour. both day and
night, which Is promptly registered at
the station. The question arises, Of
what use are these sergeauts2 It seems
TO me and many others that these per
amhuigiing gentlemen's services could
he dispensed with without any detri.
ment to the service, but Of considerable
value 10 The welfare and security Of our
citizens and property. II seems TO me
absurd ihaf these sergcants are re-.
QuirCd to watch the actions OF the
patromUn I'm their precincts when these
men uIe required TO report hourly
through the boxes situated on their &C..
pec'iya beats Heretofore the ser
uCane generally made two tours t0 visit
lhe meu or cu'sf uow the mcu arc
obliged iU make au hourly tour them
selves 20 iur bosses Iu order 90 report if
they are Delinquent iu reporting they
con easily De- called iu an account 7
would say farther .I Ihya patrol boxes
are Co. Insure muiu efficiency Uu the
pant Of jhr Tttr.lueu OF uur liHrn1lll
tan police Wuy not increase 60 urthgr
by putting those now useless ap
ptndagCs under the name of scrgeants
on patrol duty, CITIzES
This Is the first time the efficiency
OF The police scrgeants have been called
In q Jestion. As a rule they are Of
higher order of intelligence than
their fellows, and have been promoted
because Of their vigilance and kuogl.
edge Of The criminal classes. Ii & but
justice 20 this class 10 say they ure the
most valuable men connected with the
force. and IN many of The raids which
have taken place the sergeauts have
been the leaders. and have successfully
detected and had punished many crlmi
mails. What Citizen says about the
large area 20 be pairollel By a too small
force ls justified by the facts.-ED
CRITIC