The herald., 1897-09-16
Plans to Be Prepared for
Police Patrol Boxes
BY THE CITY ELECTRICIAN
STEPS TO ABOLISH THE FALSE
ALARM NUISANCE
City to Intervene in the Southern Pa
cific Injunction Case-Mayor
Snyder in Demand

| Los Angeles is to have system of
electrical signals for use Of the police de-
partment as soon as it can be determined
| just which of the several systems to BE-
| had is the best. That much was decided
a. joint meeting Of the board of police
and fire commissioners yesterday morn
ing. How soon the call boxes will be put
up cannot now be stated, as there is a
great deal of work of preparation ye.
to be done both with reference to making
the financial arrangements as we'll as in
the purchase of the system. At the same
meeting it was decided that the city
could not afford to accept the proposition
to furnish such a service made by M. p
Thye, both because the system he pro-
posed is not considered as good one
as is desired and also for the reason that
contract for such a service must be
submitted to all who may desire to bid
upon it, in order to be legal. The first
step necessary to secure the needed i'm
provement in the police service, the prep
arations of the nece ssary specifications,
was ordered by the board and the mat
ter will, upon completion of these, go to
i the council in order that the necessary
funds may be provided.
The joint session was presided over by
Mayor Snyder and was attended by
MessTs. Wells and Kuhrts of the fire COM
mission and Councilmen Wyman an6
Preuss of the fire board The PROPOSE
ton made by Mr.. Thye was read at the
opening of the meeting. He agreed for
the sum of $275 per month to furnish ths
city with complete police signal system
Of ten boxes, guaranteed last two years
and to keep the same in repair for thai
period. The system would be made a
part of the fire alarm system and in part
the same wires would be used. The mat
ter was discussed for nearly an hour by
he members of the boards and the chiefs
of the police and fire departments. The
objections urged against Thyes system
were numerous, one of the most import
ant being the necessity of keeping the
fire and police signal systems separated
entirely, as any tampering with the fire
service might endenger the city. 1t was
also argued that ten boxes We're not
enough to give the service desired and
that Thye did not state what the cost per
month would be for each additional box
Mayor Snyder stated that the letting of
such a private contract would not be
legal and that the proposition could not
be accepted.
Fire Chief Moore stated that the time
was not far distant when the city would
require an electrical bureau to care for
both police and fire wires and to see that
all buildings are properly wired. He
urged the purchase of a good signal sys-
tenn, as that would be cheapest in the end
Chief of Police Glass pointed to the need
for the Jew box circuits. He stated that
the money is now available and all that
was required would be the sanction of
the council In the contract to be made for
its erection 1t was declared to be the
sense of the meeting that some system of
signals was needed. and on motion City
Electrician Francis was instructed to
prepare specifications for one. He is
also to give his ideas of just the kind OF
system necessary and to estimate it's
probable cost. Whatever Mr. Francis
may have to communicate upon the sub
ject will be considered at another meet
ing at a date to be decided upon later
Mr. Thye's proposition was returned to
the council with the endorsement that it
VISA not considered adequate or practical