Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-30
POLICE COURTS AND CRIME
Instructive statist o. of Cities Compiled BY
the Department OfIabor.
ACTIVITY Of POLICE IN i4o CITIES
summary of Arrests, Causes and Con-
Observation-Disclosures i'm the
Courts-Omahd'A's Standing
in the 1Ast.

al, EI
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2S.-tCorrespondenc
of The Bee. THE Department of Labor OF
the government has just issued a bulletin
on the subject of statistics of cities OF more
than 10000 population, in accordance with
recent act of congress, A portion OF this
document is entitled Police, Retail Liquor
Saloons, and Arrests and Convictions, by
Causes" and the statistics given here can
not fail to interest all who have to deal with
city government or who may be engaged in
moral efforts at reformation. The statis-
tics are for the last fiscal year.
One hundred and forty cities are consid-
| cred, but data from all Of them on all points
desired could not be obtained, especially in
| the matter of convictions following arrests.
| In these cities there were S,151 policemen,
San Antonio. Tex, and Springfield, ILL.,, fail
! ing to report. This number exceeds the
standing army OF the nation. New York
! City, of course, leads with 7,436, and then
follow in order tho greater cities: Chicago,
$685. Philadelphia, 2,295; Boston, 1,13l; st.
Louis, 1886; Baltimore, $50; Buffalo, 665; San
Francisco, 557; Washington, 545; Cincinnati,
$50, and Detroit. $40.
| The statistics also show that the list OF
! cities under consideration, emitting Cam
bridge, Charleston, s. c., Chelsea, Kansas
City, Kan, Maiden, Manchester, Portland,
Me-. Salem, Somervile and Topeka, which
do not license the liquor traffic, has total
number of 5S,963 licensed retail liquor sa-
looms New York City has 1898; Chicago,
6,263; Philadelphia, 1891; st. Louis, 2,032;
San Francisco, $685. Milwaukee, 1,726; New
Orleans. 1854; Newark, N. j., 1,275; Bal
timore, 2,221 Buffalo, LASS; Cincinnati,
LIS; Cleveland, 1880; Jersey City, 1850;
Detroit, 935; Boston, 799, and Toledo 676.
Thus the figures show that there are, ap-
proximately, two saloons for every police
man in the larger cities of our country.
Arrests for DrunIsenness.
The total number of arrests in these cities
for drunkenness, except in the cities of San
Antonio and McKeesport, Pa. (not report
ing) was 294 72S. New York City leads with
46,170, and Chicago had 42,212 Boston, g.,
157; San Francisco. $780, Baltimore, 1851;
Buffalo, 9619; Cleveland. 1855; New Or
leans 5,O34, and Providence, $685.
Davenport with population Of 40, 900, re-
ported but 23 arrests for drunkenness
Philadelphia, with a population Of /, ,240, ,2G6
reported but 943, or one arrest for each 1,35C
of the population. The ratlo for Chicago was
one for each A of her population. 1t should
: be stated however, in behalf of Chicago thai
=, disturbers of the peace were included under
drunkenness"
! AS the convictions fort drunkenness II
;, Syracuse exactly equaled the arrests the un
= errng judgment of the police force is shown
. 1t is indeed remarkable that no error wa!
; made in 1,34S arrests. Denver, however
makes better showing with 1,054 arrests
and 1880 convictions. In Sacramento, on th
other hand, the policemen were evidentl!
affected with strabismus, .as there were bu
y 225 convictions out of S04, arrests. 1t ma.
n be. however, that change of police justice
J. would effect change, in these figures.
: For the disturbance of the peace in thes
. cities 97,414 arrests were made. Syracus
! again convicting every one OF the Sal victim
of the police force. The arrests in New Yor
t City were 3O,265, in Chicago, as stated above
,they were included under the head @
drunkenness" Atlanta had $3.50 arrests
:. Baltimore, SPAS; Buffalo, 4,764; New Or
}. leans, 1927; Philadelphia, S,S44; Pttsbure
,6,259; ST. Louis, $500; San Francisco, 200!
- and Washington, 5,957. The latter city per
mtted only 5S4 to escape conviction, Will
e San Francisco convicted but Gil out of tn
is 1908 arrests.
:. Assaults and Homicidcs.
u The list Of cities, omtting five which di
II not report, had total number of 665S9 al
p rests for assault and battery. New Yor
), City had S,526, Chicago 6,429, Baltimor
Id '4,2S2 Washington 1892 and Boston 2,7O
at Augusta, Ga, reports cases; Newport Ky
= A, and Altoona, New Haven and Williams
lie port, Pa, 7 each. Syracuse, still agaiI
rt convicted every one of the 1862 arrests ther
and Washington allowed only 644 to escap
l. Of the 1922 arrested. San Francisco al
er rested 1,419 cases, but convicted only 447.
4 OF homicides there were 954. Forty-fy
ye of the 140 cities had no homicdes. In tn
IN matter New York City seems to have ha
20 more than her due proportion, the numbt
re being 331-one for every week day Of IL
i'd year and eighteen left over. New Orlea1
lg reported 81, Baltimore 32, Chicaf
as 40, Cincinnati %, Atlanta 10, Ga
el weston and indianapolis II eac
MS Kansas City (Mo), Memphis and Nasl
l. Vile is each Philadelphia 81, st. Louis 3
od San Francisco As and Washington 81. Je
rr sey City convicted the 16 arrests made the
Of and Newark IN. j. IL of the 1S arrest
San Francisco convicted but of the
persons arrested
ts Arrests for VnErnncy.
y The term vagrancy Is such an elusive OF
at in the administration of Justice that al
vn data collected on the subject does not gil
in definite information. The table under col
rk sideraton gives the total number of perso
ID. arrested on the charge of vagrancy as 61 81
nit Canton, o., Chelsea and San Antonio not T
e. porting. New York City arrested 7,65
he Philadelphia .6,11s. San Francisco 3,31
ts' H. 23ssssSY. .V /f&3za