New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-06
A NEW "BROADWAY SQUAD"
THE REVIVAL OF TIE NOTED PHAIANX
OF TALL POLICEMEN.

Taminany Hall, despite its hard name ana us
tendency toward the systems that characterized
the dark times in the history Of Manhattan
Island. has earned the applause OF its enemies
10y taking steps toward recalling to life the old
Broadway police squad. which consisted OF
members Of the police force at least six feet
tall The Broadway Squad was among the
sights Of NewYork. and even the foreign tourist
who wrote his impressions Of the great city
after staying In uptown hotel for n week
never failed to say something about the tall.
polite and handsome police officers VINO did
duty on the chief thoroughfare. assisted women
to cross the street. halted stages and cars. en-
gincered the raising of seemingly hopeless
blockades took care OF lost children, queled
brawls and by their presence awed into mac
tiyity the otherwise iircpressible pickpocket and
buncO-steerer.
The regulations at that lime required that a
must be six feet tall in his socks and a
prominent officer in the present police force
says that when he was examined for a place on
the squad he was passed for size. but was told
by the officer in charge that there mot
hair to spare" and that officer delights To speak
Of his service In that arm OF the metropolitan
police force The squad consisted Of ninety
men, who went on duty at q o'clock every morn
ing and remained on duty until o'clock in
the evening. except hour at noon for lunch
con, when they would be relieved by precinct
men
1t was no little thin; TO attend to the duties
Of a Broadway policeman in those days" SAID
the veteran. ANA every man knew when night
came that he had done a days work. The
squad took care Of the street from Thrty-iifth-
st. TO the Battery. There were about half a
dozen stage lines on Broadway az that time,
and to keep the procession moving was work
enough But We had the countrymen to steer.
the women and children to take across the
crowded street and every man was expected 10
be a walking bureau Of information on the sub
jet OF public buildings, places OF amusement
and desirable shopping places. And with all
this We had regular patrol duty to perform.
But about 1871 the precinct men were placed
In charge of the sidewalks and We had the
street from curb to curb. That was perfectly
proper. because the middle Of the street is all
that an officer can attend to and do the work
properly"
During its existence the Broadway Squad was
the showplcce Of the metropolitan police force.
When a particularly good display was 10 be
made the broadway Squad was sent to the
front When officials wished to demonstrate
that the New-York police was the finest the
Broadway Squad was drawn upon, and its fame
became so well established that the expression
fit t. be Broadway policeman" was looked
upon anywhere in the country as a concrete de
scrption of an athletic. courageous man
The same argument which was often used in
favor If the uniforms adopted by Colonel War
ing for. his eet-cleaners was used in jusiiica
ton Of the rule which prescribed the height of
a Broadway policeman. they can be seen from
a distance" ard when the squad was abolished
and policemen If the ordinary size pa
tr1lled Broadway it seemed To those who had
been accustomed to see the helmets Of the peace
guardians above the crowds that the police
had been withdrawn from the swarming thor
oughfare.
II is the purpose OF Chief McCulagh 70 place
a giant squad on Broadway again These men
will ne re ruit ID from the present force vii!
wear .ne same uniform as the other members
Of the police force and will BE- unlike their COM
panions only in size. The new Broadway squad
will consist of about one hundred men, and
their posts will be between Thirty-hith-s'. ana
the Battery between the curbs' of Broadway
Every man will be at least six feet tall ana
the force Of one hundred men be easily
recruited. as there are 800 patrolmen 80 rounds
men and \ sergeants on the force who are over
six feet in height The tallest patrolman meas
ures six feet four inches and the tallest rounds
man glories IN six feet six inches. The men OF
tho new squad will be assigned to two precincts.
and will be visited by two Of the tall rounds
men.
The Civil Service Board Of the Police Depart
ment has laid down certain rules which make 1t
impossible for a weakling to become police
officer The applicant for a place must pass
rigid examination f." physical strength and de-
yalopment and thorough medical examination