The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-11
1878 reorgAnizations ON about the present

centre of the square. This was occupied
by tho detectives until iD 1886. dynamitor.
inconsed by the constant espionage which
scotland Yard subjected them 70. blew up
the place. Fortunately no one was killed.
Then after moving for time TO tempor-
airy headquarters, the department took
its present commodious offices.
Any man may apply for appointment
on the force at any one OF the division
(precinot) houses. In order to secure
employment. as police constable he
IL ust be over 81 and under 80 years. lie
must be ut least five feet tall. He must
be able TO read well, write legibly and
must have n fair knowledge OF spelling.
He must be free from disease, and of
strong constitution. He must be recon-
mended by two touseholders who have
known him for five years by his last en-
warden OF his parish. He must not have
more than two living children. He n ust
file statement OF his debts and he aDle
TO pay such of them as the commissioners
of police may direct.
After his appointment he can do no
work for pay aside from his police duty,
and his wife cannot keep shop. His
pay Is decreased when he is on sick leave.
His uniform and coal for cooking at
homo or elsewhere are supplied by the
department without expense To him. II
be is unmarried and sleeps at the station
house he is charged 20 cents q week for
lodgings He cannot resign without per
mission. lie is liable to instant dismissal
for drunkenness and many other faults,
and no can be punished in many ways,
principal by nnes.
lie begins at salary of S6 week.
This will be advanced % cents week
every year that his conduct Is good until,
at the end OF eight years of service he
may be paid IS a week. One case of
drunkenness or other violation OF the
rules Is certain 20 bring about n deduc-
tion Of pay To the original ST. lie must
then begin his advancement over again.
The pension system is very complete.
Men who have served 10 years may retire
on pensions of fifteen -iiftieths of their
regular pay, and this increases To two
thirds of the regular pay for thoss who
have served % years and upward. A two
thirds pension may also be granted 10 a
constable who is incapacitated for duty
by injuries received in the actual per.
formanoe of service at any time, no mat
ter how long he has been on the force. III
he receives fatal injuries in the per-
formance Of his duty similar pension
may. be granted 10 MS widow.
The ranks are these: Constable.
sergeant, inspector analogous TO the New
York police captain); superintendent
analogous To the New York inspector); {;
chief superintendent analogous TO New
Yurk's superintendent). Beyond these
there are a commissioner and three as
81 slant commi ssioners. These. in turn,
are subordinate TO the home secretary
now Mr.. Asquith-who is also known as
the secretary OF state. Thus the police of
London are practically government in
stitution, as the homo secretary Ia q
Queens cabinet minister
FAVORITISM IMPOSSIBLE.
The safeguards against fayoritism in
the accordance of men for the force are
many The candidate is first examined
by district or precinct surgeon, and
then by IA cniof surgeon appointed by the
home secretary. Then he may be put on
probation for IA days or longer, during
which time he resolves "a small wage and
is drilled on the srd lIgrounds at Scotland
Yard, residing meanwhile in tha candi-
dates barracks. After appointment he Is
drafted into some district or precinct In
which vacancy exists. and must live,
and if he is married. his family must live
in that district
Promotions are made every week. and
their reasons and results are published IN
a weekly ~ Police OIder a constable
whose work seems to have merted pro.
motion is recommended % committee
of inspectors for Advancement ny the SER
geaut. This committee considers thu case
and may promote the constable 10 a SER
geantship. In "A similar way sergeants
are selected by the inspectors and recon-
mended TO the superintendent FOR ad-
vaucemeDt TO iuspectorships. and inspoc-
tors are recommended by the suprintcn-
dents to the commissioners for advance
ment TO superintendentships.
No man can hold an important position
unless he rises from the ranks, and none
but inen who have risen from the ranks
can pass upon his merits. There Is, be
sides, Promotion Board, consisting of
six superintendents and an assistant com
missioner, who must approve every pro-
motion decided upon by any of the com
mittoe before it eau go into effect The
homo secretary has summary power of
removal. but he has no power of
appointments A man recommended by
the Queen herself would have to go
through this routine and begin at "a
shillings week before he could attain an
important position in the police.
NOT AS CLEVER AS AMERICANS.
1t would not be fair TO intimate that
the constahIes in London are up TO the
American standard of intelligence and
efficiency in what we consider police
duty.
Much less is expected of them. and they
have "a much less troublesome class Of
people TO deal with. The London public,
even in The worst quarters Of the city.
has greater fear of the police than the
New York public has. The police, being a
government institution, the same ilunky-
ism which makes AN Englishman take of
his hat before Duke when he would
keep IL on before "a commoner, hos good
effect in helping the police to maintain
discipline in tho streets.
Constables must stop disturbances,
prevent tnievery by watching property,
see 10 the enforcement of street ordi-
nanCes and arrest disorderly persons.
They are scarcely expected TO pursue and
capture evil -doers after "A crime has been
committed, hoyever-that il the work of
the detective department. This is not ad-
mitted in London, but il is proved by
the faGt that constable who dis
tinguishes himself by actually arrestng
a burgIar.a highway robber, "a murderer,
~ nportant pickpocRet or any other seri.
Gus sinner, is almost invariably and very
LrJmpy promoted. II Is rartly in that
way that the detective force is recruited.
Many men are chosen for it, also, out Of
tho two hundred or three hundred con-
stables who, during the "season'-the
months when royalty anu the arstocracy
arc in town-are detailed TO duty in
"plain clothes.