The age-herald., 1898-01-22

OtneT Ilalltfb dS HhlSHl COiu6 DcAoIS It, Messrs. Garrett and Lesser were named on the committee.
 .Good Deal of Crime"
 MT Garrett was of the opinion that speedy action was necessary. He said: 'There is good deal of crime going on here and has been called to our attention, and believe that the chairman should be empowered to appoint special officers for the North and South Highlands until some permanent arrangements can be made"
 Messrs. Fox and McCartin opposed such action, preferring that the council be con- suited before additional expense be incur red
 MT. McCartin suggested that some of the officers in the city beats might be trans. ferred temporarily to the suburbs.
 MT. Lesser favored MT. Garrett's sugges- ton, and the former put it in the form of a motion and said: eff only part of the reports are true there Is cause for inn mediate action. The taxpayers of this town are entitled to protection. We must protect the lives and property of tAe citi- zens of Birmingham.
 Messrs. Fox and McCartin were in favor of consulting the city council before any thing was done. Mir McCartin was of the opinion that there was no cause for ex- citement.
 He said ''We are all liable to get into the same fix as our chief and suggested that in the future no member of the force should go into print without the consent of the board"
 MT. Garrett withdrew his motion for im- mediate action.
 On motion Officer Rollo was discharged from the force Rollo's number was 20 and all subsequent numbers were moved up one and E. F. Menasco was elected supernum- erary No. to fill the vacancy caused by the advancement.
 Report of the Chief.
 The chief of police made his annual report giving the number of arrests, fines, etc., of the police force for the year, and making many recommendations.
 He recommends the adoption of the Der tillion system for identifying criminals, the same to be purchased at a cost of $40 He also recommends that Birmingham be made member of the National Bureau of Iden- tihcation of Criminals The fee would be $50 year. To equip the office for photo- graphing persons to be identified would cost $2O.
 He recommends improvement in the city prison-especially in the womans ward also in the office and suggests that the chiefs office be removed from the allep it is in to a more accessible point.
 He makes three other recommendations, namely: A reformatory for youthful criminals; larger police force, and two detectives.
 In making these recommendations he says:
 Reformatory.
 "The necessity of reformatory stares the citizens of our city in the eyes daily. Is it not a daily scene to see young boys held by tie tight grasp of an officer being led to prison for some crime he has just committed?
 ''There are some boys in this city whose names appear most every week upon the jail dockets and opposite their names the charge varying from "dlsorderly conduct" up Nearly every crime excepting "mur- der'' has been placed opposite their names. And on the other side of the docket ap- pears their age, g, 19 and II years old sometimes 12 and II years. What can the police do with them? Their parents come to thep rison with tears streaming down their cheeks and tell you their boys are uncomfortable; they can not manage them; they tell you they did not know where they were the night before; they were not at home. These mere youths are locked in a prison cell, in the same place near where confirmed criminals are held in custody; they receive advice and instructions from these outcasts of the world thieves, cut threats and probably murderers. What is to be done to them? They go before the court and are bound over to await the ac- tion of the next grand jury which meets some two three months later, they are kept in confinement and associate with criminals awaiting the meeting of the grand jury.
 "The members of the grand jury are un- acquainted with them and their habits and most time considering their tender age re- lease them. They then go back to their old tricks, that of burglarizing some store- house or residence, while the occupants are away.
 "There should be a reformatory to send these boys to and teach them trade and also educate them so they may know the laws of their country and assist. when they get to be men, to uphold the law, instead of being a constant volator, a tramp a thief and an outcast from the social stand ing ana acquaintance of law-abiding citi- zens.
 Increase of Force.
 "An increase of the force is very badly needed. The present force consists of thir- ty men. There are only forty men in the department, which are distributed as fol- lows: One chief, one night captain, one day sergeant one desk sergeant, thirty pa- trolmen, two supernumaries, two wardens, one patrol driver and one officer collecting taxes and city licenses This is too small force for city of this size. A few years ago the force alone consisted of sixty-four patrolmen, more than double the present one. The residence portion of our city is virtually unprotected, because of the lack of men. The business portion of the city is not properly protected, because the men are not here to protect it, as it should be and as should have it protected if I had the men at my command. Compare the forces of the cities that surround ours and see the difference in the Atlapto 1e0 Mopfoom b0 Mo-