The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-02-08
POLICE SIGNAL SERVICE.
Four More Precincts to Be Provided
With "Hurry-Ups."
When Completed This City VIII Have
the Most Fully Equipped Police De-
partment In the Country. y, 49,

A little more than three years ago a
decided innovation in the workings of the
police department in this city was in
troduced. This was the police signal
system, and those who stop to think can
easily remember the excitement which
prevailed on the introduction OF the
patrol wagon or as 1t is styled in common
the "hurry-up wagon At that time and
even now the passage Of the wagon along
the street called for the immediate
attendance of a crowd OF the morbidly
curious, who did not abandon the chase
until confronted by the bare brick walls
and closed doors of the station barn,
within which and freed from the too
close attentions of the crowd, the prisoner
was quickly hustled out OF the wagon and
into safe keeping.
Yes, times have changed. Before the
introduction of the "hurry up" the officer
who made an arrest was compelled
to leave his beat unprotected
while he carted an oftcntimes refractory
prisoner to the station and in many cases
when he finally arrived with him 1t was
hard work to distinguish which was OFF,
Ger and which prisoner so rough a resist
ance did the prisoner make. Now things
are much different. The alert officer
oner realizes his plight he is standing
before the blue box SO familiar TO all now,
a wagon call Is sent in to the station, and
in a remarkably short space of time the
patrol wagon rolls up to the box, the
prisoner is piled into the wagon and is
behind iron bars in jify. There is no
more "scrapping' between officer
and prisoner, as the former attempts
TO drag the latter to the station and the
once familiar spectacle of a blue coated,
brass buttoned guardian OF the public
welfare perspiring freely between the
handles of a wheelbarrow in which re-
clines muehly inebriated individual en-
route TO the lookup is thing of the past.
So great was the success with the system
in the central district, and so accurately
could the movements of the officers be
followed by the official in charge at the
station, that ii was decided TO equip other
stations with hesystem, and consequently
Stations 2 and were fitted out In this
Central District the municipal system Is
used. The officers at certain hours and
minutes are obliged TO ring in "duty
calls" from certain boxes on their beats,
the record of which appears on slip OF
paper in the station. In this manner it
can easily be seen where the officer is at
certain times and fairly good record of
his movements can be sustained
In stations 2 and 8 the Gamewcll system
is in vogue. This does not differ mater
ialy from that OF the central district and
the results are eminently satisfactory.
But there are seven police districts in
this city and 1t has been the constant aim
OF Chief Child TO have all provided with
the system and generally well protected.
For some time he has been sgitating the
necessity Of supplying all the stations
with the service, and now the work is to
be started.
At the last meeting of the Common
Council it was voted to appropriate the
sum OF $4,000 to equip Stations 3, 4, 5 and
with the signal service and the work
will be put under way as quickly as pos
sible. 1t will be necessary to build barns
at Stations 3, and for the wagons and
horses and each district will have to be
wired. No barn will be placed at Station
Z, but il Is the idea of Chief Child to use
the wagons at Stations and for hurry
up" calls from the Seventh district.
As yet the number OF new boxes TO be
put into use in the four districts has not
been definitely settled. Chief Child will
call upon the captains in those districts
for estimates as TO the number needed,
but the totai will not exceed so boxes.
With the introduction of the service in
each district there will be change in the
division lines between precincts. All the
boxes on Benefit street up to Constitution
hill will be covered by the third district
wagon. This will relieve Stations and
2 and will obviate the necessity of run
ming, as now, the wagons up hill.
Two new wagons are to be purchased
There is one extra wagon already on hand
which Will be put into active service.
Chief Child will call for bids for the put
ting in OF the service shortly, and will
stipulate that all work shall be concluded
by fall, when il is expected the new Cen
tral Station on Fountain street will be
ready for occupancy.
In fitting out the districts hundreds OF
miles of wire will be used and about one
hundred poles. When completed Provi-
dence will be the best protected city in