The herald., 1896-07-21
NEED OF A SIGNAL SYSTEM
Chief 0lsss Aaxlous to Have Police
Patrol Boxes Put In
The Efficiency Of the rorce Would % vastly
Increased and Sergeants and Rounds
men Done Away With

Within the space of month or more
the city police force will move into it's
new quarters now being completed on
First street. and one great step will
have been taken forward toward maxi
ing the Los Angeles police force metro
politan in its character. With commodi-
Gus and airy quarters instead of the
present cramped and ill-smelling build
ing. Chief Glass hopes to secure other
needed appliances and conveniences for
the betterment of the force, and in this
line intends to urge upon the council
and police commission the necessity of
a police signal and alarm system. The
need of something of this kind is ur-
gently felt, and when other California
towns, such as San Jose, have stepped
in and adopted the system, Los Angeles
surely cannot afford to lay behind.
The chief Will ask the council in max
ing appropriations that at least $4,000
be included and set aside for the pur-
pose of establishing police signal sys-
tenn, which shall consist of a register
in the central Office. and at least twen-
ty-tive or thirty signal boxes In different
parts of the city.
All of the large cities Of the United
States and some of the small ones are
today equipped with police signal sys
tenn of some kind. These systems con-
sist in the main of signal boxes and
central station apparatus. The signal
boxes are placed at intervals through
out the city. and are so arranged that
there shall be at least one box for every
four officers. Four officers could use
one box by having 1t located where four
beats corner. but it would be much bet
ter to have a box located in the center
of each beat.
Each box is connected with the CEN
trail station. and contains telephone,
and also an automatic signal device by
means of which, the reports of the OFF,
GERS of their presence on their beats.
and the more usual calls-for the patrol
wagon, fire or reserveS-may be quick
ly sent and recorded at the station
house. Instead of iron boxes attached
to lamp posts or the walls of buildings
some systems use iron booths. These
give the officers greater privacy in send
ing and receiving telephone commun
cations, and also provide places where
prisoners may be kept in cases of emer-
gency. Other notifications of the sys-
tenn are the visual signals" used in
some cities. These are colored lamps
or indicators, placed over or near the
boxes. by means of which the officer
at the station house can call patrolmen
Furthermore keys to these signal boxes
could be given to trustworthy citizens,
who would thus be enabled to call po-
lice assistance at any time of the day
or night.
Wires for the system could be strung
along and over the poles now used by the
fire department, lessening the initial
cost Once in operation, even though on
a small scale, the chief is of the opinion
that the public will be quick to see the
advantages of it and would as soon
think of doing without the fire alarm
system. In some ways 1t would be even
more important than the fire alarm In
case of a riot in any part of the city the
man at the desk in the central station
could in moment summon the officers
from all over the city and the entire
force could be mobilized in half an hour.
Then again the signal boxes would do
away with sergeants or roundsmen to
watch the patrolmen and see that they
cover their beats. Each officer would
have to report every hour or half hour
to the desk sergeant and his where
abouts at any given time would be def
nitely known. This Is but one of the i'm
provements contemplated by the chief,
but in his opinion is the most vital and
important, pressing for immediate con-
siderat tion.