Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-12
THE WORK OF THE CITY POLICE,
What Chief Glass Thinks of
the Efforts Of the Force.
A General Statement of the Contents
of His Report.
An Increase In the Force Recommends d
as WelI as Greater Pay-New
Headquarters Needed.
Other Matters.

OF which the main features are givel
below:
GENTLEMEN: In accord with the Gus
tom OF past years, l respectfully max
the following suggestions, the adoption
of which would, 1 believe, greatly in
crease the efficiency of the police forc
of this city:
The accompanying roster shows tina
the present number of the force, includ
ing the matron, is "a. Of this numbe
the chief, captain, secretary, three
clerks, bailiff, two jailors and two dri
vers OF the patrol wagon are required fol
duty at headquarters; four officers are
detailed for detective work; three have
been required on street corners, where
the numerous cars running on the
crossed tracks of the electric, cable and
horse railways have made the greatest
vigilance necessary (two more are now
required on street crossings-at the cor.
ner OF Second and Spring and the cor
ner of Second and Main streets); three
sergeants, one for each tsquad, must
make the rounds of all the beats each
day to see that the men are properly
stationed and are properly carrying on
the orders given them; 80 that we have
but six mounted officers and 46 footmen,
total of 81, to bs divided into three
watches, for actual patrol duty in
this city of 10000 population, which has
an area greater than almost any one
of the great cities of the east The
force is inadequate to the proper dis
charge of the duties required of it. .
/, therefore, again earnestly rec
ommend substantial increase of the
numbers of the force, and believe that
the increase should be at least 10 patrol
men and six mounted officers, making
IL of the latter.
In the fiscal year just closed, two Of
ficers have died, three have resigned,
and one has been removed for cause,
making total of six changes. Both OF
the officers who died were capable and
trustworthy men, but both were of deli
cate cons titu ution and physically unable
to endure the hardships and exposures
of police life. The deaths of these men
causes me to again suggest that the
present regulations in regard to the ap-
pointment of men to positions ON the
police force be so amended that man,
to be eligible, must not only be fully
up to the present requirements of
height, weight, etc., but must be be-
tween the ages of 25 and 35 years, and
must pass first class physical examins-
tion by three physicians. also suggest
that the applicants be required to pass
a creditable examination in reading,
spelling and writing, and in regard to the
general duties of officers
The police officers of this city receive
smaller pay than the officers oil the other
cities of the Pacific coast. The
pay OF the detectives in the Los Angeles
nnlipa do ortn iuo NJ clx,,
when compared with the pay received
by that class of officers in other cities,
while the work of our detectives has
been meritorious.
most earnestly recommend your
honorable body to at once put into effect
in this city our state law in regard to
this matter, as embodied in the act en-
titled, "An act to create police relief,
health and life insurance and pension
fund in the several counties. cities and
counties, cities and towns OF the state"
Approved March 4, 1889.
As an illustration of the necessity for
a relief and pension fund, respectfully
call the attention Of your honorable body
to the cases of Officers s. B. Sites. M.
d. Hare and s. P. Hensley, all of whom
have this year been seriously injured
while in the actual discharge of duty.
During the year just passed the Off
GERS have been drilled each week in mil
itary tactics. and have monthly been
subjected to rigid inspection, and they
have improved in discipline, but in re-
gard to uniforms and equipments much
improvement could be made. The uni
forms show many different shades and
qualities of goods and styles of finish,
and this will continue to be the case 30
long as they are made in many different
tailoring establishments, on the indi-
vidual order of each officer. The re-
yolvers, handcuffs, ETC., which are the
individual property of the officers, are of
many sizes and styles, and many of
them very inferior. once more respect
fully suggest that the material for the
uniforms be purchased by the board of
police commissioners, and that compe-
tent tailors be employed to make them,
which would result in perfect uniformity
of dress and in securing better material
and workmanship, and would be saw
ing OF many dollars per year to each
officer. / also again recommend that
the city furnish the officers full equip
ments, of uniform size and make, in
Guiding repeating rife for each man,
and that ammunition be furnished for
practice.
must once more respectfully call the
attention of your honorable body to the
very poor condition of the police head
quarters and city Jail. The prison is in
secure. The cells are damp and cold,
and cannot be warmed, and it is cruel
ty, instead of proper legal punishment,
to confine prisoners in them. All parts
of the building are daily filled with
noxious gas from the sewers that must
be defective in every foot. There is not
room to provide suitable place for the
detention of witnesses, separate apart
ments for females, or for juvenile pris-
oners, 80 that they will not come in
contact with the old and hardened
criminals, all of which are required by
the laws Of the state of California. Nor
have we apartments for the matron,
who should always be in attendance.
The present police headquarters have
been condemned, justly condemned, by
the grand jury of this county. and do not
believe the building can be repaired,
and I therefore once more recommend
that your honorable body sell the old
building and site, and erect upon larger
grounds building suitable for the
police courts, the police department and
city receiving hospital, and in connec
She Committed Suicide.
Mrs. F.. G. Cone, at Paris, left this letter.
my husband-Forgive me If cause you trou-