The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18
YORK REPLIES TO ClAUSEN.
PARK COMMIssIONER CONDEMNS
POLICE SERVICE IN THE PARKS

Says tho Men Perform Their Duty in Loose
and Ipefioiont Characterization York
Says That ClRusen and His Colleagues
Want to Control tho Park Police Force.
President ClAusen of.the Park Board.com-
planned In an interview Yesterday about the
loose and lnefflcient work OF tho policemen de-
tailed for duty In the parks Of Manhattan. BY
the provisions of:fhe new charter tho parkspo-
lice. as q separate force. ceased to EXIT. They
were merged into the regular force and COM
PEELED to wear the blue instead OF the gray uni
form. Policemen are now detailed for park
duty BY the Police Board at tho request OF
the Park Com m ssioners, and each Com m is
sionsr may report back to the Police Depart.
ment for punishment any policeman 30 de-
tailed who falls to perform his duty. alter
which tho Police Department may detail an
other M an In his place Commissioner Clau-
sen said that the men in blue do not take the
same interest In their work as did tho men In
gray that the efficiency OF tho mounted police
has been seriously impaired; that the small
parks get little or no police protection. and
that many women fear to walk through.River
side Park lest they will be insulted. Alto
Rether. Mr.. Clausen said. the present park po-
leo System is very weak. and. pending an
amendment OF the charter. the Police Depart
ment and the Iark department should come
together In deyising plan whereby all parks
can be sIeciaily covered.
President York OF the Police Board issued q
statement in ropy to Mr.. Clausen yesterday In
There has been a continual faultnnding on
the part Of Commissioning Clausen in refer
ence to police service In tho parks. and more
particularly the smaller rarks: but tho fault
finding seems to he more against changes
when made in the Iark service In other words.
transfers from or to the PARKS. The Commits
siuuer evidently goes up3n the theory that
only one who has been permanently detailed
police duty there. In this conclusion the PO
lice Board does not concur. for there is Just as
there Is in any of the other pre- rinrt service of
the Police Department., The efficiency OF IN,
POLICE IN the PARK 'ry &C. today is Jst A. good
perts It is decidedly better
The system Of patrolling small parks ty
police officers attached to precincts Is not one
that was instituted by the late Chief McCul-
lngh, but was system that was devised as the
Ing officers in the department and in this
judgmen, the late Chief fully concurred. No
ma man a p9' Of matters hs sms shd wa
III this city could. when actuated purely by
public motives. come TO any other conclusion.
for L is simply, ridiculous to claim that in
small. parks it 10 necessary to have men spe-
cially detailed to watch tbs growing Of the
Rrass or the dropping OF the leaves from the
The present system. In SO far as that is con-
s,anag tn. rs Of the sSi BARK force has
not been CHANGED the same com handing ,oft-
Ger is 10 charge OF Central Park az well las
The judgment evidently of the Park Com
missloners is somewhat, IL not entirely con-
troIled by their desire to control the police
force In the parks and to dictate what mem
bers Of the force sha do scrvice'therein, The
experience Of the charter provisions with ref
creme, 10 the police force proves concln4ivcy
that the system ia the correct one. and that the
entire poliHe force of tho city. whether patrol
ling in the parks or outside. should he under
the control CT one department. You might as
vel say that n person detailed for duty in a
public building should he under the Jurisiic-
ton and control II tho Ianitnr Of thai building
rs to say that the uolice ass lgned 10 duty in
the parks should be under the control Of the