The herald., 1896-12-07

which the officer at the station house
can call patrolmen to their respective
boxes for orders. Furthermore, keys to
these signal boxes could be given to
trustworthy citizens. who would thus
be enabled to call police assistance at
any time of the day or night.
The police of this city have used prt-
vate telephones for years, when the
owners of the came would permit us to.
but when business houses are closed at
night, the time we most need the tele-
phones, we can't get them This is
in size and Importance the second city
on the Pacific coast, and is, / think.
improving more rapidly than any other
city In the United States, but in equip
ments and modern appliances for the
use of the city police department, we
are sadly deficient, and not abreast of
the times, and I therefore again urge
you to grant the appropriation asked for,
which will do a great deal to set us
right.
The chain gang and the work done
by the same having been under my SUI
pervision for some months past, l find
that at no time has sufficient number
of teams been furnished to enable me
to work the men to advantage. We
have now thirty prisoners working, and
there are at least twenty others who
could be put in the gang, but having
but four teams to do the hauling, the
thirty men in the gang are idle one-half
or two-thirds of the time. To work the
gang properly would require, at times,
at least ten teams. and 1 respectfully
suggest that the chief of police be en-
powered to hire extra teams when ne
cessary, or be instructed to call on the
superintendent of streets for extra teams
when needed, and that the said super
intendent be instructed to furnish them
on call.
again recommend the purchasing of
horses for use on the patrol wagon.
The horses we now have are too old
and badly used up for this service. which
requires at times. particularly in bring
ing wounded people to the hospital, rap
id driving for long distances, and l
suggest purchasing two light horses for
each wagon, rather than one heavy
horse. such as we have heretofore had
l again recommend that an ordinance
be passed prohibiting the use of fire
works on our streets on all occasions,
without first having secured written
permit from the mayor, stating wnen
and where the said fireworks may be
used. Los Angeles has not had its big
fire. but l am afraid that before many
years it will have if the firecracker nui-
sance is continued as heretofore.
I respectfully invite your attention to
the tabulated exhibits of this report:
Exhibit A shows that 4S1S arrests for
crimes committed in our county were
maze Dy t0e department III the car just
closed, and that we secured the con-
viction of 1858 of these; 93 for felonies,
with Imprisonment in the penitentiaries,
and that % charged with felony have
been held for and are now awaiting
trials in the superior courts, and that
1853 were convicted of petit larceny. The
department also made 43 arrests of fu-
gitives from other counties of this state
or other states: S3 arrests for gambling
have been made and 20 convictions Sc
cured, a small number compared with
other years but though we still have
far too many so-called CLUB rooms"
where draw poker and other games are
played for money, there has been but
very little secret. and no open and no.
torious, playing of the games prohibited
by the state laws. This exhibit also
shows that the department has made
in the year ia arrests and secured 161
convictions for selling lottery tickets,
but Notwithstanding this large num-
Der of convictions the lottery ticket sell
ing has greatly increased. The sentences
imposed by the courts have been NOM
inal cash fines, and / am afraid these
have been looked upon as license which
the lottery ticket vendors could we'll af-
ford to pay. think there is way to stop
this business. The law gives the judge
passing sentence the right to impose a
heavy fine and an additional imprison-
ment for months, and if each of the
vendors of lottery tickets knew that
conviction would be followed by impris-
onment, as well as heavy fine, they
would not look upon the arrest as a
trivial matter. In addition to the arrests
for crimes the officers have apprehended
80 insane persons. brought 534 patients to
the receiving hospital for medical treat
ment. etc. and 40 dodgers have been ac-
commodated in the city Jail in the year
Exhibit b shows that in the year lost
and stolen property of the value of $17,-
lS4.S0 have been recovered by the depart
ment
Exhibit G. report of the patrol drivers,
shows that 2451 calls were responded 10
in the year. 3574 miles Travelled, etc.
Exhibit d shows that 1868 jurors were
summoned, 222S witnesses subpoenaed.
1891 letters and kilograms received and
answered. 175 cases in which the bailiff
acted as interpreter, saving 1865 in fees,
and much other information in regard to
the clerks department.
Exhibit E, in regard to meals fur
nished, shows that by having the cook
ing done by prisoners the cost to the
city has been S6451.S SO less than it would
have been had the meals been furnished
by restaurant, as was the practice
before took charge of the department
Exhibit +, the Jail department report,
shows that 77,199 meals were furnished
prisoners and dodgers during the year,
that the chain gang performed 12,3O1
days work, that 741 treatments were
given patients in the receiving hospital
by the police surgeon, and many other
matters of interest.
Exhibit G shows fines and forfeited
balls collected in the police court,
amounting to $10,S27.
The aggregate of fines collected, saw
irgs, value of recovered prop
erty, and value of work done
by prisoners (and all of this
is directly or indirectly due to the po-
lice) is very considerable sum saved to
the citizens of Los Angeles, and for
which the police department should re-
ceive credit, and is a large offset against
the amount appropriated for maintain
ing the department this year, as follows:
Value of recovered property ...$17, ,134 80
Fines, etc. ...................... 10,827 90
Saved by having cooking done
in jail ..................... o,45l OO
Work of chain gang, at 81 per
day ....... ................... 12,301 90
Fees saved by bailiff interpret
ing Observation-Disclosures. 265 90
lOLdl .$4O,Jto %
The foregoing exhibits show large
amount of work done by the police of
this city, which 1 know will compare
favorably with the work of any depart
ment of equal numbers in the United
States, and this work has been