The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-14
THE NEW POLICE PATROL.
1t VIII he Put Into Eject TO-MOrrow
Morning.

Morning.
The most marked improvement In Sa-
vannah's police system in recent years win
go into effect tomorrow morning. As pre-
viously stated in the Morning News Chief
McDermott has had under consideration
for some time system of protecting the
city by districts instead Of by streets as
has been the custom here since time Inn
memorial. When the city extended no
further south than Liberty street and East
Broad and West Broad streets were the
eastern and western boundaries the sys-
tenn did very well, but it has been out of
date now for at least twenty years. The
protection afforded the residents south of
Castor street has been VIGOROUSLY made
quate, there being only two mounted men
on duty in that large section of the city
and during the daytime no footmen further
south than Liberty street.
1t did not take Chief McDer1nott long
to perceive the inadequacy of this sys-
TEN, and he set about devtsing a better.
While looking 2t one of the city maps
used in the last city election the idea
occurred to him that to patrol the city
by districts would be a great improve
ment on the Old method.
Investigation showed however that to
carry out this plan would require large
increase in the police force, which was
not to be hoped for this year. On further
study, however, the chief concluded that
by changing the present system of de-
tails and rellefs a. good deal could be ac-
complshed toward carrying the plan into
effect. At the same time the work could
be made much easier on the men!
The present system Of reliefs is about
as antiquated as the system of patrolling
the streets. The day is divided into three
watches Of six hours each with q dog
morning, and q morning watch of four
hours from to u. Only one-fourth the
force is on duty in the day time and one
half at night When all the men are on
duty there are sixteen on the streets in
the daytime and thirty-two at night
There are always men on the sick list
or off duty from other causes, however.
One day recently there were only eleven
men on duty on the streets. The result
Of this state of affairs has. been that the
business portion of the city got pretty
much all the police protection, while
the = residence section was left to take
care Of itself The new arrangemnt will
remedy this TO great extent, though on
account Of the small force the large resi-
dence section south Of CASTOR street Will
still not get the protection d should have.
The force has been divided into three
reliefs. The first relief Will go on duty
Monday morning at O'Clock and will re-
main on duty until 3 O'clock when the
second relief will come on and likewise
remain out for eight hours The third re-
lief will 80 out at II p. m, and remain on
duty until a. m. When the first relief
comes off duty at =. m, five OF the men
Will be kept at the barracks as hredetail
while the others viii go to their homes to
report for duty the next morning at
O'Clock
Five men will be retained from each
relief for this purpose. this being the
number specified by Chief Fireman Pu-
der as sufficient for fire calls. At night
the fire detail viii be taken to fires in
the police wagon. In addition TO the fire
detail all tho men on duty in the section
Of the city in which the alarm is sound
ed viii also respond to the alarm.
BY this system the men win DO only
eight hours street duty day. The If
teen men who are kent for fire detail will
be on duty for sixteen hours, but this
VIII occur only one day In every four
or five. Under the present system a
man frequently remains on duty from
fourteen 70 eighteen hours including two
hours Of duty on the streets and the time
spent at the barracks as fire detail.
The city viii be patrolled by districts
az far south az Castor street. the dis
trict8 10 BE- patrolled beng Nos. ] 10 II.
10 addition there viii be seven mounted
men on duty. one IN FrOgtOWu or Rob
crfavlIle and six south N CASTOR street.
There Will also b. man in the park.
ono man VIII patrol Bun street from
Pay street ~ The park There VIII be
two men on River street two az the mar
kCt au9 Two al the barracks. one 81 the