The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-10-25

N"NJs hdb u snap b06y nave IL saw the
uninformed. "They stroll around in a
Ieisurely sort OF way, never seem to be in a
hurry, and appear generally to take life in a
most easy-going and comfortable fashion, A
more unjust opinion could not be entertained.
These men who protect our property and
lives, often risking their own in SO doing, re-
ceive little enough credit for the duty thew
perform. By the hours of their work they are
practically ostracised from any enioyments
and really have little or no time which thew
can call their own. No Sundays or festive
holidays come to interrupt the monotony of
their daily routine. Every day is the same to
them. That their task is not an over-apreea-
bic one is evidenced by the continual retire
ment of officers to go into other business and
the desire OF almost all to do so If only they
could. The reasons for this are apparent.
The pay is not o fortune-$75 and 500 per
month, there being two grades of privates.
Their duty is both dav and night.
lhere is hardly any business which does not
give man either the day or the night at his
home, but police duty gives neither Besides
this there are few of the officers who are not
married. Never do they have an entire night
at home. One day in every four they are 'soff
duty" from p. m to midnight, but, unless
they go on duty again with only five hours
sleep, this time must be devoted to rest 1t
may be said that every other day they have
twelve hours to themselves. SO they do Out
OF this must be taken an hour to get home
and return, at least another hour for meals
and after sufficient sleep is obtained how
much time is left to the officer to do as he
chooses9 There is another factor, that of
court duty, which enters very largely into
consuming the time given to the officer for
rest. This will be explained futher on. The
system In Washington is known as the six-
hour system.
Under this system the entire force OF
privates In any precinct is first divided into
two platoons and the platoons into two
sections, This that there may be as full force
as possible for duty in the night time: a
section serving from 8 O'clock a. IN. to l
O'Clock p. m, and another section from /
O'Clock p. m. to 6o'clock p. M, and full
platoon from o'clock p. M, to 12 O'Clock p.
M, and another from IL o'clock p. m. to 6
O'Clock a. m. From O'Clock a. m. to 8 a. m.
Is what is known as ''dog WATCH" and during
these two hours, one section of the platoon
which retired at - o'clock p. m is detailed to
perform duty. Such is the system.
Ioproperly understand, however, the varied
hours experience Of private on the force it
will be necessary to consume four police DAYS
OF twenty-four hours each, beginning at 8
O'Clock q. IN.
Private John Smith, for instance answers
roll call at the First precinct station, at
O'CLOCK a. M, and after receiving instructions
proceeds to patrol his beat-being relieved at
1 O'Clock p. IN. From O'Clock to O'Clock
p. m. he is on reserve duty at the station.
Az O'Clock he is off duty, to report again at
the station at II O'Clock p. M, where he re-
ceives instructions and then patrols his beat
until O'Clock a. M, which constitutes his
labors for the first day.
Private Smith from O'Clock a. m to 6
O'Clock P. m. of the second day is loft duty"
At6 O'Clock p. IN. he goes upon the street
and remains until IL O'Clock p. M, when he
reports at his station and performs s'reserve
duty" until 9 a. M, after which he performs
"dog watch''--street duty-until O'Clock
q. m. ending the second day.
at that hour Private Smith returns to his
station and Is there ''on reserve" until l
O'Clock p. M, when he goes out and patrols
MS Deat until O'Clock p. M, to again report
at the station and be In s'reserven until 10
o'clock midnight, then to go upon the street
again for duty until o'clock a. m., which
closes the third day.
From g O'Clock a. m. to 6 O'Clock D. M of
the fourth day Private Smith is .'off duty.n
After that hour he is ''on duty' until IL
O'Clock p. m., when he returns to his home, IL
ne has one, and remains until O'Clock, which
ends the fourth day.
In the meantime Private Smith is given
ample time three times day in which to OBJ
tain his meals.
This schedule Is apparently one which gives
the officer certain amount of time to himself.
II Is, however, the circumstances not provided
for there, that depriyes the officer of his
proper rest. designations, dsmissals, leaves
OF absence, and sickness, often reduce the
available men In precinct to such an extent
that others are obliged to do double duty.
Although an increase OF the force is q necessity,
this would not relieve the officers from the
duty at court which Is the greatest factor in
taking from them that time set apart for their
rest. When an officer makes an arrest it is
necessary that he appear in court to testify. 1t
Is easy to understand how frequently this may
occur. The officer is obliged to be present at
lO O'Clock In the morning and wait until his
case is called; Frequently the court is in
session until or p. IN. This is the time the
officer is supposed to be sleeping. Instead he
Is at the court and when p. III. arrives, the
time he is again to patrol his beat, perhaps he
has had one hours sleep.
There is but one remedy for this and the
on1cers who have been in the service for
number OF years all favor 1.-THE re-establish-
ment or the system OF magistrates. Previous
TO 1871 there were magistrates who went to
the various stations and heard all minor cases,
OF which the majority of arrests are. In that
year the system was abolished and the
Police Court established The police Of
hcials say that the system would be a saw
Ing OF expense to the District and at the same
time allow the officers their needed rest, as all
the cases In any precinct could be heard in
less than an hour. This would not mean the
abolishment of the Police Court, as this is
necessary to hear cases OF appeal
Special Trains to Benning's Races via
Pennsylvania Railroad.
For the benefit of persons desiring to at
tend the races at Bennings track, near Dean
wood, the Pennsylvania Railroad will run
special trains from October 26 to the 3Ist,
Ia aauinf Ixxfh 80. Il I 1nI