The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-09-05
PAYING THE POLICE.
How the Thing Is Done In the Great
City Of Chicago. - e
The Money Il Distributed By q Waeou
Built for the Purpose, and
It Has Never Been
Waylnid.

run the police department. of Chicago.
The amount varies according to the
fines imposed At police board trials OF
extra men employed on extraordinary
occasions. For the month of May
checks were drawn for $e95, ,s30.24. From
this amount there was the usual reduc-
tion for the pension fund; for May the
amount was 81, 1856. The actual
amount paid to the force, from the
chief down to the lowest in the depart
ment, was the difference between the
pension fund and the amount given.
The 18th Of each month is pay day in
the department., unless Sunday falls on
that date. On that day a wagon con-
tanning paymaster, two specially de-
tailed officers and the driver, the last
also a policeman, leaves the city hall in
the morning. The wagon contains q
safe, and it is full of checks-not cash.
The driver knows the route. The pay
master has the payroll. The first step
is made at Battery d, of the First pre-
cinct. All The men of that precinct
not on their beats are lined up when the
wagon arrives. The paymaster goes in
with the payroll of that station aud
checks for each man. The desk SER
geant calls the roll and as each man an
swcrs he steps out of the ranks and re-
ceiyes the city treasurer's check for a
months services, according to rank, un-
less there is deduction for fine. Checks
for absentees and men on duty are left
with the captain. The captains check
is for $137.50; the helieutenants' checks are
fo- SIPS each; sergeants', 500; that for
each patrolman, 1898, and of the in
spector, $21O.
The chiefs check is always handed TO
him personally, if he is in the city, and
he always scrutinizes it to see if it calls
for $500. That is his monthly salary.
Then he deposits it in his bank.
The pay wagon of the department. is q
gay outfit, built for the express pur-
pose, and if some of the bold highway
men of Chicago should conclude to hold
it up as they do the cashiers of stores it
is not likely that they would be able to
'.blow" the safe before assistance ar
rived, aud the police are unusually alert
On the 18th. If the wagon should be ten
minutes late Mt station the whole force
would be on the qui vive.
The check of the city treasurer of Chi
cago, according to an attache of the po-
lice department., is good ut any bank,
saloon, or brewery" If there is a bank
near the station the former always
stocks UP with cash the day before the
monthly pay. If there is no bank in the
vicinity, the saloons, or brewery, if there
be one, cash the checks, as that usually
means "Iittle business"
There are 5000 names on the payroll
of the police department of Chicago.
The chief comes first, with salary of
$500 a month. The assistant, or deputy,
follows with 5000. The inspectors, four
in number, get $:10 each. The chief Of
detectives AMI captain rank alike on the
payroll, each getting $ls7.50 month.
The lieutenants in the detective depart
ment ger $141.66 each. The lieutenants
of the regular force get $125 each;
scrgeants, 500 each; custodians $116.-
&c; secretary of the department., $751;
50; private secretary to the chief, $50;
detectives, $10O each.
The department., like similar depart
ments in all cities, comprises represen-
tatives from The principal nations of the
earth. The Irish are in the majority;
then come the Swedes and Norwegians
and Scandinavians. There are some
colored men ON the force, few English
and Scotch, and now and then an Amer
lean. It is said by one who knows that
there are not 100 men on the police force
of Chicago who come under the head
usually known as genuine Americans"
although every man would resent being
called anything else. The head OF the
department and his assistant and most
of the captains are Of foreign extrac-.
tion, If not foreign born. = Chicago.
Chronicle.