The morning times., 1895-12-22
POLICE In LONDON.
What They Have TO Do and the Coss
of the Service.
Chicago Chronicle.


Chicago CHRONICLES.
| The report of the commissioner of police
of London is always an interesting docu.
| mept, and this year it is as full as evef
OF curious intelligence. There are side.
lights on the doings ard sufferings of the
public in the streets of London, statistics
| about dogs and cabs and public-houses,
| about utterers OF counterfeit coin, house.
/ breakers and all the fraternity of casual
| and professional criminals with whom the
| police have to deal.
London has TO pay heavily for its police.
I The cost OF the force in pay alone, includ.
| ing chief constables, superintendent, in.
| spectors, sergeants and nstables, came TO
So, 312, $50 last year, figure far and a way
above what is paid by any other town, If
reckoned out at so much per head. But.
then, The county of London is the only area
where the police are not subject to local
control, SO that these things must needs
be. The authorized strength of the force
on December 81, 1894 was 81 superintend-
ents, 59T inspectors, !, ,S34 sergeants and
12,754 coDstables.
About 90 per cent of the number avail
able for duty in the streets is required for
night work. The total number of criminal
offenses of all kinds reported to the police
was 2O,9TO, a decrease of 407 as COM
pared with 1898. The apprehensions num-
bered 14.902. Burglaries bave fallen off
-3S4, as against 509-but buusebreaking
has flonrisbed. the figure having risen from
1,343 to 1,52S. LAS usual" remarks the
commissioner, these crimes were perpe-
trated. for the most part, at the expense OF
the poor, and not of the rich.
'In 725 cases the value of the property
sasuo Is M pue 'cSS uGpl ss5I sBM uSIols
only did it exceed S25O.''
Thirteen cases of murder are reported,
OF which seven were due to insanity. The
number of licenses issued to drivers and
condu ctors was as follows: To cab drivers,
14,672; to stage drivers, 6 .523; and to
conductors S.239. OF the ,205 appiica nts
''for examination as 10 their knowledge of
London" 351 were ''plowed," and l $40
cab drivers were convicted OF dru unken-
ness.
The lost property branch has been ac-
lively engaged, as usual, 90 ZIG articles
having been received at Scotland Yard,
made up of 1893 purses, 699 articles Of
jewelry, 142 gold and silver watches, 696
opera and field glasses, 1887 umbrellas
and sticks, 2.255 bags and 1851 mis-
ceilaneous." OF these, 1887 were re-
stored TO their owners and the remainder
were returned TO the drivers nd conductors
who deposited them-a very pretty per-
quisite.
No fewer than 2,2ss members of the
force were injured while in the execution
of their duty. OF these 2,075 Were as
saulted by prisoners or injured while max.
ing arrests. Runaway horses were accoun-
able for seveuty-one casu alt les; three
coustables were bitten by horses. and
twenty-five by dogs. Dogs, indeed. play
a considerable part in the statistics OF
Scotland Yard-23,697 stray dogs having
been seized in the year, TO say nothing Of
3,SSS setitious dosgies who went out with
out their muZZies.
Street accidents are still on the Increase.
There were 169 persons killed and 6,57O
injured in the course OF the year, for
which light carts are largely responsible.
Incidentally the police perform many useful
services. OF the 3O,644 persons reported
as missing, 16. .101 Were found and restored
TO their friends; they stopped 627 suicides,
put out sixty-four fires and found 80, ISL
doors or windows open er insecurely faStenr
ed; also, they conveyed 90, 2,5S1 prisoners
In Black Bess, billeted 2,7S7 soldiers, stop
ped 25S runaway horses, besides serving
summonses innumerable and telling heaven
knows how many hundreds of thousands Of
country cousins the way.
They apprehended 69,5S3 persons for
other than criminal causes 81 ,65S OF whom
were run in for drunkenness and disorderly
Conduct.