The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-27
= Members of the Police Com
mission Approve Crow
ley'S Request.
MoUNT OUTLYING OFFICERS.
Commissioner Alvord Would Estab-
Iish a Police Station Near
the Park.

Supervisors TO add 125 policemen to the
present force he Will have the unanimous
support Of the members of the Board of
Police Commissioners. These gentlemen
have long regretted the small number of
men available and have continually
dreaded the arising of some emergency
for which the present force should prove
insufficient.
The commissioners believe that the Su-
pervisors will largely increase the number
OF pauolmen, though some doubt whether
the full number asked for will be granted.
The power to enlarge the police force, .
said Commissioner Alvord last night, Lies,
OF course, with the Supervisors, and any
action we might take would be simply adj
visory.
Personally, should favor large in
crease in the number of policemen. The
CITY is growing and the police force should
grow with it. The Chief thinks 125 more
men are necessary. l have not talked the
matter over with him, but l think he will
be lucky if he gets eighty more. Even
fifty additional would be a great help.
The City's needs? Well, in my opin-
ion, we should have at least ten more Off
GERS on the harbor front. The men who
are there to be dealt with are a hard
headed, hard-handed class of people, and
ten more officers in that district would be
none too many.
I'm the Western Addition at the present
time the beats are too long to be success
fully covered by individual patrolmen.
The hoodlums and roughs who make that
section the scene OF their criminal opera
tiOns watch the policeman pass.
They doubtless know the extent of each
officer beat and realize that he cannot re-
turn till after such an interval that they
have time to get away with the entire con-
tents of the average dwelling. What we
really need is a number of officers mounted
on swift horses like the park police.
"They could cover vast amount OF terri
tory, and do it satisfactorily, and could
also overhaul evildoers who now operate
almost with impunity. l would also favor
establishing somewhere in the vicinity OF
the park a branch station with patrol
wagon and telephone and Geographic con-
nections with headquarters.
If these auction sales Of lots near the
park continue it will not be long before
we have a string of residences say 200 feet
apart all the way to the ocean, and every
man who lives there will expect and have
the right to demand police protection.
The POtrero also needs attention and
the territory near Bernal Heights in which
are located the Lick School of Mechanics
and the new poWer-house for the Market
street Railway system. Those sections are
rapidly settling up with men OF the labor
ing classes and they necessitate police pro-
lection.
Thus far we have been able to cope
with every emergency which has arisen.
We have had no election riots for fifteen
wears and visitors from the East express
surprise that our election days so resemble 4
Sabbaths. After the last great strike Of
the street-railway employees, however, we
had TO discharge few policemen because
OF their sympathy with the strikers.
But If ever there Is another strike OF
that character it viii be for Us a much |
more serious problem. The concentration |
Of the streetcar lines under one manage
ment means that in case of strike the
whole city will be tied up. Then the rail-
road men Will be cOrrespOndingly stronger,
and we must have men to cope with them
and prevent riOting.
Looking pretty far into the future?
Perhaps l am, but that, you know, is the
business of a Police Commissioner.
I'm case an increase of the force is
authorized by the Board of Supervisors,
however, we cannot have the additional
men till July /.
"The fiscal year ends with the last of
June and if we are to have more policemen
the Supervisors must include their salaries
in the estimate for the tax levy for the en-
suing year.
Commissioner NJ. 4. Gunst believes that
additional policemen are absolutely neces-
sary, and is sanguine that the Supervisors
Will authorize the employment of the full
number asked for by Chief Crowley. q
think, " he said, that the principal bust
ness streets of this City, such as Market,
Kearny and Montgomery streets, should
have policemen along both sidewalks
The traffic is now so great that one officer
cannot properly attend to both sides OF
such thoroUghfares and their beats are too
long. -,
in the outlying districts more officers
are greatly needed. AS it is now, police
man who starts west on his beat from Polk
street or Van Ness avenue might as well be
lost In space as lar as any practical eff
cheney is concerned.
Mount the officers? Yes, 1 would APP
prove that. We should have ten mounted
men where now we have one. The Super
visors recognize the needs of this depart
ment, and [ believe they will give Crowley
all the men he asks for
itWe should also have two more captains
OF police. Six captains, exclusive Of the
captain of detectives, could be used to adj
vantage in this city. We should also have
more sergeants."
Commissioner Tobin has frequently ex-
pressed the opinion that large additions
should be made to the police force. The
view, is too great a territory to be effec-
lively patrolled by the small number of
men who can now be assigned to that duty
and he believes that the taxpayers would
agree to a small increase in their
assessments if they were assured that
thereby their homes would be better
guarded,
The Commissioners expect that the
of the police force viii have been
all supplied with the new uniforms and
helmets by Decoration day, on which
occasion the force will parade.
They expect on that occasion to have at
least 80 officers in line, and the occasion |
vii! furnish the public an opportunity OF
Judging Of the effect of the new uniforms. |
The regulation requiring all officers to |
wear uniforms when on duty between the |
hours of midnight and A. NJ. has already |
gone into effect.