The San Francisco call., 1897-07-14
THE ROOM FOR
IMPROVEMENT
Discoveries Made bv Several
Committees of the
Grand Jury.
Recommendations Touching the
Police and Fire Depart
mentS.
The Committee on Dives Makes Some
Suggestions on Radical
Lines.


yesterday filed their. reports. several of
general interest.
That on the Police Department, ]. G.
Norman chairman and w. E. Lutz Sec
retary of the jury reported, for instance,
| concerning the Seventeenth street sta
ton, In charge of Captain J. Gillen:
This station we find to be in a deplorable
condition, consid idering the purposes it is used
TOR. The bullding, previously used for iiv-
cry stable, is old and utterly inadequate as a
police station. The wooden cells are abso-
lutely rotten, 1t being possible to pierce many
parts of the wood with the finger. AS to ven
tilatfon, there is noEe. the air being foul at
most all times. The officers quarters too
small and cramped. This station when first
established, about twenty years ago, reported
about fifteen men. There are now Ell .hty- two
men reporting there and eight mounted men.
The importance of this sta ton is too great to
have it h oused on the miserable quarters it
now occupies, covering as it does the entire
district from Ninth street to the county line.
The efficiency of the department demands an
immediate change.
The committee recommends the aban-
donment of the station and the erection of
proper building for the purpose upon
city lot In block So Mission property.
The report further says:
The Folsom-s treet station Captain John
Spillane, located on Folsom street, between
Fourth and Fifth, which from the number and
character OF the arrests is of even greater i'm
portance than the Seventeenth-street tation,
we also found TO be in as bad or worse condi-
tion This building is old and rotten, being
propped up on all sides to keep it from falling
in. The cells are of wood, which is old and
very much decayed. Liberal applicat tions of
asphaltum serve to hold much of it together.
This station contains q large stand OF rifles
for the use of the companies located there,
and to expose these weapons 10 the at ttacks of
a frenZed mob, for which 1t would be but
child's play to secure, is negligence and
carelessness of the worst kind. The Chief and
Captain Spillane have been asking for better
protection for a long time, and the Board of
Supervisors should have their immediate at
tention called to the same and act promptly.
We refer to our recommendations as to this
station also.
Speaking of police stations generally
the report says:
The system of renting private properties for
police stations is to be condemned as being
contrary to public policy and good business
judgment. Our police stations well as our
fire houses should be built upon City lots and
be the City property. The saving in feed of
horses alone will amount to many hundreds
available properties suitable for police sta
tions and where 1t has none it should
acquire it as the Police Department is too i'm
portant to be neglected in the matter OF safe
and suitable stations.
The report says the delay on the work of
without explanation. "The attentio of
the Board of Supervisors should be called
TO this work and steps at once taken to
compel the contractors to proceed accord
ing to the terms of the con tract"
The committe makes recommend ations
in line with the criticisms made, and also
that the appointment OF patrol drivers be
vested in the Board of Police Comm s.
sioners, subject to the rules and reguIa-
tions of the Police Department, and that
the patrol wagons be provided with covsrs
for the protection of their unfortunate oc.
cupants, as is done in all Eastern cities.
Reports complimentary to the officers
in charge were made concern ng the CEN
trail station, new City Hall, Captain Witt |
man; harbor police station, Captain J. |
Dunleavv; California-street station, Lieu
tenant Esola; Washington-street station,
Sergeant Shields; OFarrell- station. |
The committee on Fire Department
Arthur L. Piper (chairman). NJ. +. Frag-
eley and L. w. Cud dworth-reported hav-
ing found the several engine-houses Wis.,
tied in excellent condition, rejecting
credit upon Chief Sullivan; also the Cor
poration-yard. where all repairs are made |
under the supervision of Superintendent
John w. Reilly. The committee makes |
the following recommendations:
We believe that the efficiency of the depart |
ment would be materially improved by the |
adoption of the following:
Flrst-Ihat all companies throughout the |
business strict of the City be fully paid and |
subject to continuous duty.
Second-That the outlying portions of the |
City be provided with larger water mains and |
more hydrants, and that the present hydrant |
system be supp emented with a system of cis- |
terms, fed directly from the water mains, !
through hout the entire City.
Thlrd-That all wires a. present strung upon |
poles throughout the City be placed under |
ground.
Fourth-That a light-draught freboat of |
large pumping Capacity be provided as an ad-
1unct 10 the department for the more efficient
protection of shipping and other property
along the water front
Fifth-That the fire-alarm telegraph station
be removed at the earliest date possible from
Its present exposed d location on Brenham place
TO the dome OF the new City Hall, thereby re-
moving the considerable Fl re risk to the costly
equipment of the station.
The committee on the Public Pound
r: M ohr (chairman). A. O. Ahern and
Waiter N. Brunt-takes a favorable view
of Pound master Osborn s action in estab-
fishing pound independent of the S
ciety for the Prevention OF Cruelty to Ami
mails, and recommends that the City
its owl public pound Independ-