The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-23
POLICE DEPARTMENTS NEEDS.
COUNCIL COMMITTEE TO INSPECT
THE BARRACKS PRISON.

Gossip of the Candidates For the
Chiefs Place.
While the Improvements at the police
barracks are looked for very soon, it is
not probable anything will be done by the
committee on city lots in the way of in
vestigating the needs of the department
until after the holidays
When spoken to in regard to the in
spection of the barracks, Alderman Smith,
chairman of the committee, said the COM
mitteemen were as anxious as any to have
a little enjoyment during the holidays and
would not do anything before New Years.
The first work taken up after the hol-
days will be the barracks investigation,
which will be made by the committee,
with the police commission and Chief Nc
Dermott. The main reason of the appro-
priation of $1,000 was to provide sufficient
room for prisoners, which was the prin-
cipal reason assigned by the police COM
mission in it's request TO council for addi-
tional facilities.
Acting on this information, the commit
tee will naturally first look into the neces-
sity for additional room, which 1t will I'M
doubleday find. The next matter to be as
given by the committee of the whole, will
be just what will have to be done in order
to properly carry on the department.
Building a new station house will come in
for consideration, and while it is posi-
BILE the department could get along with
out it by adding a temporary brick struc-
ture to the present guard house. it is a
question whether such a step would be
cheaper than putting up a suitable guard
house, and one which will be an absolute
necessity in the course of a few years.
Should 1t be urged by the committee that
less elaborate quarters would suffice than
those which the police commission will
insist upon, the point will doubtless be met
with this argument.
No branch of Savannah's municipal gov
eminent is showing Itself more deserving
or making q stronger effort to render bet
ter service to the tax payers, it is assert
ed, than the police department. Consider
able improvement has been going on at
the barracks during the past month, and
the place is in exceptionally good condi-
ton. The exterior of the building around
the porches and sallyport, has been neatly
painted, additional lights have been put
In the corridors and other lesser improve
ments made
LET some man come here who had not
seen the place in the past two years" said
Chief McDermott, "and I'll venture he
would not know the surroundings. The
department has been revolutionzed in
many respects, and there Is not a single
thing about the police barracks which has
not been changed in this time. l began
first by putting the sergeants office in
proper. shape for the dispatch of business,
by removing an old lot of rigging and ar
ranging the quarters as they are al pres
ent. This has been found to be of ines
Unable advantage in more satisfactorily
enabling the sergeants to register pris-
oners, receive properly, cneck off the men
as they report, and perform all their other
duties.
1.-The Gamewell system was never in
working order prior to my taking charge
of the department, but we now have 1t
running smoothly, and consider it the
most important feature, in the service.
There isn't a moment that the sergeant
cannot tell just where policeman is walk
ing, and can locate him in short time. The
city never made a better purchase than
that of this marvellous system of report
ing. Suppose a man should commit a
murder in one part of the city and get
away from the policeman going in anoth-
er direction. That officer could report to
the sergeant, telling the facts, and that
the man had gone in a certain direction
The sergeant could at once communicate
with the policeman in the direction the
escape had taken, telling him to be on the
the system is seen and the Importance of
having the device in working order, ready
for service at all times"
Another thing which I abolished on
taking charge of the department" contin.
ued the chief, was the large guns carried
by the mounted men. That / considered
not only a burden to the men themselves,
but an unnecessary load for the horses.
Why, If policeman should find it neces-
sary to shoot, he would have to ungirt the
gun and remove a lot of rigging which
would require time enough to allow the
man to escape. Moreover, it was not de-
sired to have the police appearing on the
streets like cowboys. By the pDsent
methods the men are sufficiently we'll
armed for all purposes, and the burden of
carrying heavy shotguns dispensed with.
Each man carries a revolver, and / see to
II that he also carries extra round OF
cartridges every time he leaves the bar
racks. Unless there is a riot or some I'M
usual uprising, 1 do not regard any fur
ther arms necessary. Assistant Chief of
Police Reilly drills the men daily, both
with the guns and in flank movements,
and there was never a time when the po-
lice force was better along in this regard"
Speaking of the approaching election of
chief, Chief McDermott has little to say,
but ii is evident he is not scratching his
head savagely over it. Anybody has a
of a public character, and one which the
tax payers, through their representatives,
have to fill. But when it Is undertaken to
perform the duties of chief of police of
any city, no odds how small it may be-
the man should be a detective and one
who has had experience A man is ex-
pected by the tax payers not only to man
age the police department by seeing to it
that the men are properly uniformed and
come on and go off duty Systematically,
but he is expected to catch thieves, protect
both public and private property and hold
down lawlessness. Without experience no
man can do this and the tax payers would
be dissatisfied with one who failed "Why,
what could you do as a detective, never
having had any experience" said he to
the listener. In his candidacy for the DO
sition for another term, he said he stood
squarely upon his record, which talked
for itself.
With the detectives now in the depart
ment, it Is certain that IL the criminal
classes have not been held
in allegiance, they have been
promptly captured and punish
ed Very few have escaped, and It is not
an unusual thing for the chief to run
down murderers when the crimes have
been committed in the county, outside the
city.