The evening world., 1893-12-09
AWAKE, POLICE COMMISSIONERS.

AWAKE POLICE COMMISSIONERS
Whether It be the fault OF. the Police
Commissioners. the Board Of Estimate
and Apportionmcnt or that electrical
experts have failed to produce IL scheme
grand enough. II Is certainly a dis
grace to New York City that II has no
effective police signal syatem nor II
patrol wagon service. That the Empire
city of the Empire state should be 20
long without both. dropping further in
the rear every year, while oven country
villages go forward. seems to indi-
cate that n grave responsibility rests upon
the shoulders OF some one. Nu cxcus"
OF any kind Ia there to offer for the t!c.
lay save the iealouHirs and chickering's
OF public servants. put In Office to guard
the city's interests not TO betray them.
On no other subject has public scnti-
mcnt been 80 much aroused, There Is
"a unanimous demand for this reform.
and for once the question OF politics has
been forgotten. Taxpayers and citizens
recognize thl; proper police signal
and patrol wagon service would largely
Increase the value OF real estate. Crime
could not show itself in any quarter with
impunity az IL does now \ reform In
the system would, as Commissioner Nc.
Clavc hlmne!f pointed out. 'be better
FOR the Department aud the city than
the appointment Of one thousand police.
men" Every citizen would be- a special
officer. The very fact that from any
corner word could be. flashed "a Jhe
nearest police station Of the commission
OF crime would IN Itself serve to deter
criminals.
The necessity for radical change In
the present system was recognized seven
years ago. when the subject first re.
celved serious consideration, and $780, 800
was appropriated to start It going. II
was one OF the last acts Of the admins.
tratiun of that time and the amount was
not inserted In tEc final estimates until
half an hour before midnight on the last
day OF the year. That money has never
been expended Tests of all kinds were
made Months were wasted In expert
menting. but apparently all to no pur-
pose.
IL was recognized two years ago when
the Grand Jury took up the subject. Re
Gently the matter has pushed Itself to
the front OF Ills own necessity. Riots
have taken place. Citizens have been
assaulted ana robbed in broad daylight
Even police officers, armed though they
WERE had prisoners taken from them and
themselves put to flight. after an un-
inercifth beating, Nearly 100000 arrests
have been made every year. and just
that many times officers have been taken
from their posts. sometimes for an hour
Or more. during which time the burglar
n nd Ia. hiub u bnI lie,
opportunities to ply their trades.
All this. and more. The Evening
World" has pointed out In Its series
OF articles. Every side of the question
has been given. Every Police Com
missioner and each member OF the
Board OF Estimate and Apportionment
has declared In favor OF II. Ways and
means are always available for such a
purpose. Why. then, delay any further?
For the wagon service alone a sum Of
$i2,io0 IL now In the provisional esti-
mates. Such a sum was there last year
and the year before. but never used.
The present figures can be raised to 81. 900
| 600 II the Police Commissioners say that
such an amount Is needed. Why do they
not ask 1t? Contradictory opinions OF
the Corporation Counsel may block the
way OF carrying out former contracts,
but they do not stand In the way of
taking action now. The public at large
Is not interested in any particular sys-
| TEN OF signalling, nor does II care what
| color Its patrol wagons are to he paint
| cd. 1t wants to see something done
some system adopted. 1t wants to see a
patrol service as good as the Fire De.
partment, no matter who constructs It,
The Board of Estimate and Apportion.
ment has exactly sixteen more working
days to dispose of the final estimates.
wonderful amount of good work car
he accomplished in that time. The
money Is there and II needs only q
request from the Police Commissioners
to receive 1t. The Rip Van Wrinkle sleeI
must by this time have passed away
Come, Police Commissioners and OH
cins, awake. Get together and inaugu
rate this greatest of all reforms.