St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-18
Pioneer Press May 4. 1890.
ST. PAUL'S POLICE PROTEC.
TION.

There is one feature of the present
city government which wen critics are
compelled to admire, and that is the
protection accorded to life and property,
and the comparative infrequency of the
more serious forms of crime. 1t is prob
ably true that not another city in the
country can show record eQualiug
ours in this respect, when all the cir
cumstances are taken into considera-
ton. The police force is small in pro-
portion to the population. Its increase
has been contemplated: but. il we con.
slider the number of off GERS apd mel
actually on duty and the area and pop
ulation of the territory which they must
cover, they will be found to have as ar
duous task as any force in the country.
Notwithstanding this, the preservation
of public order is marred only at long
intervals by the occurrence of notable
crimes. There is an occasional drunken
shooting or stabbing affair in the shady
quarters of the city, and a little pilfer.
ing here and there from time to time.
But it astonishes the resident of Chicago,
st. Louis or any other large city who
removes to st. Paul to find that these
are so infrequent as to be the subject ot
extraordinary sensations when they
occur. Deadly assaults and public rob-
berries are almost unknown, while it has
been long since single case OF success
full burglary was heard of. Life and
property, always held by slighter tell
ure in large cities. are almost as secure
in st. Paul as in the quiet of some
country village.
We may boast. therefore, that we
have succeeded in achieving one of the
two purposes of city government-the
financial purpose and the protective.
And this happened. not because the
criminal element of Our population is
less numerous and active than that of
other cities, but because the repression
of crime is stern aud Intelligent. There
is no better policed city in the United
States than st. Paul. Every rascal is
spotted as soon as he enters the city
and gets his orders 10 leave, If a dan.
gerouS character, before he has been
here half day. The native criminal
element is kept we'll in check and under
such close and constant surveillance
that it dare not venture far. For this
we are indebted to the existing manages
ment of our police force, of which. to
whatever criticism 1t may be open, it
may at least be said that 1t does its duty
and saves us from evils that beset other
great cities. 1t would be caiam.
ity to have this police supervision,
made effective by years Of the
most careful building up and
by familiarity with the situation,
broken down for no wOrthier object
than to make places for new men.
Other departments of the city govern
ment might be better for change. but
revolution In this could scarcely fail
to be for the worse. And especially
must this be true of any reconstruction
of the police force for the mere purpose
of filling election promises. 1t is valid
objection to the candidacy of Col. Kie-
fer, aside from those already presented,
that he is openly committed to the re-
moyaI of the present police officers, and
has hinted to his audiences everywhere
that new men would be needed through.
out. 1t will not strike the average
voter as worth while to exchange the
remarkable security which he now en-
joys, the certainty that his property will
not be molested or his home broken
into, for the reign of terror that would
inevitably follow the appointment of q
force of green policemen, officered by
inexperienced and therefore necessarily
incompetent men.