The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-15
YEARS WORK OF THE POLICE.
CHIEF MDERMOTT'S ANNUAL RE-
PORT READY FOR THE MAYOR.

The Total Number of Arrests 52I
More Than for the Previous Year.
A Big showing Made in the Arrests
of Thieves and BurEIars-The De-
tectives Made Just 400 Arrests-NOt
single Murderer Escaped Arrest.
The Precinct and Eight-HOur Sys-
TEN Working Well.
Chief of Police McDermott will submit
his first annual report to Mayor Myers
to-day. The report is well gotten up, and
gives some interesting data.
The showing made by the department is
a good one. The strength of the force is
seventy eight men and officers. including
chief assistant chief, four sergeants, two
detectives and seventy privates.
The Ocean Steamship Company's force,
doing duty on the company's property ex-
clusively, but subject to the orders of
the chief. consists of three sergeants and
twenty-one privates. This makes a total
available force of 102 men and officers. Be-
sides there are in the service of the de-
partment an electrician. two patrol wagon
drivers, a stable foreman and two grooms.
The total number of arrests by the po-
lice during the year was $685. an increase
OF this number LIS were white and 900
colored.
The increase does not indicate that
there was more crime and disorder COM
mitted during 1895, but in my opinion It
shows the unusual diligence Of the off,
GERS and men of the department" the
chief says in his report In connection
with the detective department 1 have es-
a nd oil
it is not as complete as 1 would like it to
be, it has proven great assistance in
the apprehension of criminals. The eight
nour system, and patrOlling by precincts,
instead of single streets from one eX-
IRENE end OF the city to the other, has
proven entirely satisfactory. The city is
now better covered day and night, and
considering the small force at command,
better protection to life and property is
accorded our citizens and taxpayers"
a full list of the crimes and misde-
meanors for which arrests were made is
given Next to the arrests for. disorderly
conduct, numbering Sl4.. larceny scores the
highest number of arrests, 551, of which
number 5O3 were colored and As white.
There We're 80 arrests for burglary, 81
colored and Il white. There were 355 ar
rests on the charge of drunk and disor-
derby and 246 for drunkenness, the whites
being largely in the majority on both
charges. There were 16 arrests for murder
and Y for assault with intent to murder
Ihere were II arrests for Violaton>of the
ounudy ordinances. Inc number of lOdg-
ers was 6Sl, of which 3l6 were white and ISL
colored.
Il am gratifed," says the chief in his
report, TO mention that the greatest dill
gence has been exercised by the officers
and men of the department in the apure-
hension OF criminals and ViolatOrs of the
city ordinances, and that not a single
murderer escaped arrest. Although u
number of murders were committed out
side of the jurisdiction of the city, yet
the arrest of the offenders was effected
by the officers of this department"
A list of the arrests for murder is
given, including the names of the per-
sons killed, the guilty, the arresting Off
GERS and the date of arrest OF the kill
Guiding one killed by street car Among
the arrests for murder was that of Abe
Small for killing Policeman NeVe
Stolen property to the value of S. 5S7. so
was recovered and restored to owners
A statement of the arrests made by the
detectives is included This shows that the
detectives made an even number of 400
arrests OF this number sixty-two were
for burglary and 1873 for larceny
Privates s. Hanlon and p. Russell both
on the retired list, died during the year
Eleven men We're dismissed and two re-
signed. There were nineteen appointments
to the force, but as this included two
afterward dismissed there was an actual
increase OF only four men, which appoint
ments were made by Mayor McDonough
during his term of office.
The report makes no recommendations
UnQuestionably the showing is one of
which Chief McDermott and his subordi-
mates may well feel proud. If the force
continues to improve in efficiency this
year as it did last the citizens of Savan-
nah will have no cause to complain.