Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-21
TOO MUCH TERRITORY
Large Beats Assigned to Individual Police
men.
Growth of the Force, but Larger In
creases Needed - Some
sample Patrols.


learn of the small number Of policemen
who are on duty to protect life and prop
erty here Until enlightened 1t is the nat
ural supposition that Washington is as well
protected as other cities, and when 1t Is
learned that the force is proportionately
smaller than In nearly any other place 1t
is hard to understand the reasons that
actuate Congress. Being the capital OF the
nation, the police duty to be done here is
perhaps different from that in other places,
and it is the opinion of persons who have
some idea of police business that a larger
number Of officers should be provided than
are required for cities even larger than this.
There is much government property here to
be protected, during the sessions of Con-
gress the Capitol has to be watched, and
there are detailed at the Executive Mansion
a number of officers, who do the work OF
ushers, doorkeepers and messengers. as
well as police duty. Then, too, at official
receptions policemen are detailed, the Pres
idents receptions taking off the streets
vision for supplying the places Of these
men, and, naturally, parts Of the city have
to go virtually unprotected. AS 1t Is, the
beats of the men are large. and each time
these men are taken off duty doubling Of
beats is rendered necessary. and a single
officers beat Is so large that he could not
POSSIBLY hear the report Of a pistol shot or
the toot of a whistle from one end to the
other.
Large Beats.
The beats have to be made large because
of the small number of men given the city
by Congress, and many Of these large
beats are covered by one man. In some
instances two men do duty at night where
only one can be spared in the daytime. In
the third precinct, for instance, which
embraces a large part of the northwestern
section Of the city. there Is a beat which
covers all the ground between 2oth and ISd
streets south Of Pennsylvania avenue
This includes part Of the reclaimed flats,
which at times requires much attention. be-
cause Of the numerous lawbreakers VINO
are to be found there. The adjoining beat
covers the corresponding territory west OF
Rock creek. North of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. there is a beat that extends to l. street
with 18th and 21st streets as its eastern
and western boundaries.
Even in the business sections of the city
the beats are large and unless citizens
volunteer to do police work. violators OF
the law find 1t an easy matter to escape.
In South Washington there are some ex-
ceptionally large beats One beat takes
in the section between b and d streets and
from 18th street to the river. On this beat
is the bureau Of engraving and printing
and other government property. as wen
as part of the river front. The beat just
south of this extends from D street to the
river, and takes in all the flats east OF the
Long bridge, as well as the bridge tseil
across to the Virginia shore. In other SEQ
lions of the city the beats are correspond
ingly large, those in the county. of course.
being much larger than In the city.
Some increases.
When Maj. Moore took charge Of tho
force in June, 1885, there were but 267 mon
on it, and twenty-nine were detailed. To-
day there are AGA men. with sixty-one de-
tailed.
As already stated, many Of these men
are detailed WHARF, special officers. 1t IL
thought should be provided. Several men
are detailed to do duty at such places az
the work house. District building ana
Police Court At the last mentioned place
there are three men detailed, when the
police think court attaches should do the
work. Besides the sixty-one detailed men
there are several who should be pensioned,
but who cannot be put on this roll because
of the lack of funds. and this makes
further decrease in the number of men In
active service.
When Major Moore assumed charge Of
the force he was given to understand that
great things were to be done. The CHIEF
made an early start to get an increase
and the first year he succeeded in getting
addition OF ten men. Two years later
he got an increase of thirty-three, and In
1890 Congress opened it's heart and made
provision for the appointment Of fifty-six
men. Each year since an increase OF ten
men has been obtained, until, as already
stated, there is a membership of AGA men.
including one superintendent one captain
two inspectors, nine lieutenants. thirty
one sergeants, 24O privates Of class l and
$50 Of class 2. This years appropriation
bill. as passed by the Senate, provides for
further increase Of ten officers and one
inspector.
The privates Of class 1 receive a salary
Of s75 month. while the second-class
privates are paid 800 Each member of the
force is required to pay 81 each month to
the pension fund.
During the past few months some radical
changes in the rules have been made, the
chief one being a provision for keeping the
records of the members, the leutenants
being required to show each month
whether each man is efficient, highly eff
cient or inefficient, and promotions to the
second class are made from those who
have been rated as highly efficient for at
least one year.