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


Whether It be the fault of the Police
Commissioners. the Board OF Estimate
and Apportionment or that electrical
experts have failed to produce a scheme
grand enough, It Is certainly dis
grace to New York City that Il has no
effective police signal system nor
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 even country
villages go forward. seems to indi-
cate that a grave responsibility rests upon
the shoulders OF some one. No excuse
Of any kind is there to offer for the de-
lay save the jealousies 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 sen'.-
ment been SO much aroused. There ID
a unanimous demand for this REFORM,
and for once the question of politics has
been forgotten. Taxpayers and citizens
recognize that proper police signal
and patrol wagon service would largely
Increase the value of real estate. Crime
could not show itself In any quarter with
impunty as 1t does now. a reform In
the system would, as Commissioner Nc
Clave himself pointed out, "be better
for the Department and 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 to the
nearest police station of the commission
OF a 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 500, 600
was appropriated to start II going 1t
was one Of the last acts OF the admins
tration OF that time and the amount was
not inserted In the 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.
1t was recognized two years ago when
the Grand Jury took up the subject. Re
Gently the matter has pushed itself to
the front OF Its own necessity. Riots
have taken place. Citizens have been
assaulted and robbed in broad daylight.
Even police officers. armed though they
WERE had prisoners taken from them and
themselves put to flight. after an I'M
merciful 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
and the highwayman have had ample
opportunities to ply their trades.
All this. and more. 1.-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 1t. Ways and
means are always available for such a
purpose. Why, then, delay any further?
For the wagon service alone sum of
$4,000 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
900 II the Police Commissioners say that
such an amount Is needed. Why do they
not ask It? Contradictory opinions OF
the Corporation Counsel may block the
way of carrying out former contracts,
taking action now. The public at large
In not interested in any particular sys-
tenn OF signalling. nor does It care what
color Its patrol wagons are to be paint
ed. 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 1t.
The Board of Estimate and Apportion-
ment has exactly sixteen more working
days to dispose OF the final estimates. A
wonderful amount OF good work can
be accomplished in that time. The
money Is there and 1t needs only
request from the Police Commissioners
to receive 1t. The Rip Van Wrinkle sleep
must by this time have passed away.
Come. Police Commissioners and off,
cials. awake. Get together and inaugu-
rate this greatest OF all reforms.
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