The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-08
STATION HOUSE ENTRIES.
CoRPREHEwsITE BooEHEEPINs or
THE SERGEANT Ar THE DESK.

There are upward Of thirty books in constant
use In every police station In the city and Il IL
the ssreeants' duty to keep the records we'll
up to date.
First and most important OF these books 10
the desk blotter. II is the hourly record OF
everything which occurs In the station. In II
IL recorded the brief history OF every arrest as
soon as II Is made. This includes the name.
age and address OF the prisoner. the name and
address OF the complainant, time and place OF
arrest. nature Of offence. and name Of officer
making the arrest. All accidents fires. and
names OF officers making the reports are re-
corded in tho handy book. Herein also Is re-
corded the movements of Captains, SerReants,
aud roundsmen the time they report for duty.
also the time and reason OF leaving the station.
Roll call OF the men IL entered in the blotter.
and the posts they are sent to patrol; and last
but not least the countless complaints trv-
isl or otherwise that tho Sergesnts are called
upon. at any or every moment. to listen to by
Indignant citizens.
Many OF these entries are duplicated In the
telegraph hlotter. In which are recorded all
fires. accidents. suicides. homicides and the
mass Of other matter which is telegraphed to
Police Headquarters. and also the general run
OF Geographic messages from there.
These Headquarters messages are again
siited out into general orders and special or
Oore 10 OF from the superintendent or lnBDoc-
tors. and entered In one or tho other OF the
books entitled General and Special Order
Book respectively. Over and over again the
cases and memoranda entered In the desk
blotter are assorted and sifted out. and the
felonies are all entered In tho Felony Book and
all arrests for whatever offences charged are
entered In the Arrest Book Each entry 10 a
history Of the offence the name Of the crlml-
nal and his victim, and the officer or officers
who figure in the case.
The lost children are all recorded In the
Lost Children Book. This Includes name
when known. description. length Of time
since last SEEN and record OF whore or when
aud by whom found. II. as In a large majority OF
such cases. they are recovered by tho police;
slso tho name. time. and relationship OF those
who claim them. When not claimed at the
station, such children are sent to Police Head
quarters and the fact duly recorded.
There Is a Robbery Book In which all larcen-
les reported to or discovered by the police are
entered. In big city full OF careless people.
most o. whom believe that thieves could get
the better OF any one else but not OF them
selves, this book is kept pretty full The do
ings OF sneak thieves make many entries nee
sssary especially in fat-house districts. where
the Railways are almost as free to strangers as
the streets, and most OF the tenants take pride
in scarcely knowing the names Of their neigh
bors across the hallway. Door openers are q
great help to the light fingered gentry. be-
tube alon gside before opening the door and
still more rarely take the trouble to ascertain
enter In direct contrast to this book is the
Lost Property Book. In which Is recorded all the
In the buster precincts the yearly record in this
book is surprisingly large and speaks vel for
the & pos ss to SSSs
Of tho thousand and one grateful owners to
whom the property is delivered There is an
enter cd aad an other book in which the location
OF each licensed saloon and the name OF the
unlicensed saloons are also entered in this
book. but the police will tell you that not many
not exist long after they are discovered.
Dangerous Places appears IN big black
general use in police stations This does not
mean the STAN ping grounds OF gangs. dives in
bIes. o or saloons where knocfer.out drops arc
given fmpartiaily to the workingman with his
p @e poIhs believed 70 @
a big rolf or wear some temnting pit Of lew.
book are dangerous excavations left unguard-
ed holes and washouts in the street. caused
telegraph poles made dangerous by storms or
age broken electric wires; and anything and
everything OF the Ike which makes locality
There Is the Complaint Book. which Is the
Si9s s on HOOK IN Which he would thS, his his
name should be oitener entered. In the II rst-
mae b BOOK an hTer
against other memhsrs Of the force. In the
latter book is recorded the comparatively llt;
their own. although technically policeman
is never of duty, but must abandon his own
suppress crime or disorder.
There is Force Book in which Is entered
the name and address of every official and
patrolman doing duty in the precinct, and "a
eompsnion book in which is entered the name
department and living In the precinct, but
doing duty elsewhere. In the LodEers Book
station ss 5S Gs e. all ynS Eoa Gf
like to be called upon to testify as to the
accuracy of the names as the chronic
there are many Of them. have ali
the criminals love for aliases. but the
male aud female sheltered each night. In the
Time Book is entered the time made BY zach
by sick ness or for any other cause. said cause
being duly entered on the book, such, for in
II the former. the reason Tor granting leave OF
absence Is recorded. and II the latter. the pa
to the c Commissioners, Ills excuse has 10 be
OF the best or he VIII lose considerably more
money, in paying ilne than he could have
Nothing is left TO chance In police station;
and so. while the gas company which supplies
cording the movement Of the meter index once
each mouth the police take the index twice
each month on the ! st and on the 18th. and
keep tho Iecord in the Gas Index Book, The
R-Guisition Book contains a record OF all tho
supplies received at the station. with the date
on which the supplies. stationery, tools, fur
nituTe and tho like were ked for and the date
on which they were received from Police Head
quarters. In the Pensioners book are the
name. residence. time OF retirement and
amount Of pension OF each retired member Of
the force In tho precinct
The Tistol Permit hook tells the name. resi-
dence. occupation. and general character OF
every resident OF the precinct who has legal
permission To carry pistol. the reason
the applicant gives for requesting this
right and tho official reason for refusing the
request II such permission Is denied Tine re-
quest is seldom denied. as every citizen OF
good character with reasonable excuse tor
wishing to burden himself with q revolver Ia
considered entitled TO carry one. Two dollars
and a half Is charged him yearly for the priyi-
lege, and the proceeds go to swell tho Riot
Relief fund.
The police keep a little private directory
known as the Police Directory. In IL Is entered
the location Of all public buildings business
hrmE. and addresses of individuals with whom
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