Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-05

| cles, in the neighbcrhood of which there i:
great deal of driving, and the parks
| winch furnish breathing spots for nurse:
| and children, should be given close atten
/ tfon while at present an officer can make
! only an occasional visit to such may be
| on his beat. Is it at all strange that wner
| policeman is wanted at a particular pIac.
| he cannot always be found?
| "A fair way to judge of the police force
| is not by few failures on the part OF
| policemen to be on the spot at the moment
! when wanted, or by occasions when police
| men err in judgment to speech or ac-
| ton, but by taking the net results of what
is accomplished in year so far as the
| record of the city Is concerned for safety
| and criminal conditions. Surely to any
| fair-minded person it must be evident that
| there is in the police force set ii men who
| are Jealous to preserve the good name OF
| the capital, and who. al the risk of life and
| danger of personal suffering, honestly and
| efficiently perform their duty. 1t is rot de-
| MED that in this work as IN every other
department of life there those who
| tail to attain the high standard set cor
| them, oy violating the rules OF the depart
| ment, making mistakes and otherwise Civ
| ing just cause for complaint, but as COM
pared with the amount of good work ac-
| complished, the number of Just criticisms
| is remarkably small.
| Method Adopted.
| This result has not been achieved easily,
| put through persistent and Well-studied ef-
| tort on the part of the major and super
| lhtendent of police and those who assist
| him. Every mans qualifications have been
! measured and he has been placed in a po-
si.lon wherein 1t has been thought he can
| do the most good. An unusually large
number of changes have taken place dur
| Ing the past year. Quite number of those
! who are no longer fit for service have been
retired: some have been relieved of the
more active duties and given positions less
arduous but important. Much attention
mas been given to the policing of the steam
was a time when these places were con-
sidered fit posts for the poorest material in
| the department. AT present the reverse is
true, and the best men on the force are
not considered too good to guard these i'm
portant arteries of the city's life. The rec
ord OF the past year shows a substantial
diminut.0n in crime generally. This was
largely due to the good work done at the
depots on the part of the detectives and
policemen stationed there who on many
occasions spotted dishonest people they
arrived or were about to depart.
Complete and thorough plans have been
lnaugurated whereby the police districts
in the city and county have been subdivided
to meet modern conditions, and each branch
is under the charge of an efficient and ex-
perienced inspector, who is held responsible
for what occurs in his district
me policing of a city is one of the most
important, well as one of the most diff
cult, Of municipal problems. 1t IS con-
tinual study. All new methods which are
believed to be of advantage are intro
duced. if possible, into this department. and
if found effective are retained and used.
The Detectives.
Population and improvements have ad-
vanced rapidly that the provisions made
for their protection have not been COM
! mensurate with the necessities. The de-
teetive corps, for instance, which consists
of twelve members Of the force detailed
for special service in looking up matters
of criminal nature, has not been increased
for years. This force has been required
to attend to not only a great deal of petty
thieving, but frequent demands are made
upon 1t by other municipalities, in finding
criminals and following up matters con-
ststent with their duties. 1t has been
deemed eXpedient during the past year to
detail four additional police priVates for
this work but these men, while perform
ing the labors incident to the positions,
not receiving the compensation allowed
others for the same service 1t is regarded
as in the interest of the public that at least
two of these men should be serving a pro-
bationary period, and that the other two
should be paid the general compensation OF
$240 per annum now provided for the regu-
larly detailed members Of the corps. With
two prlvates thus serving on probation they
can be advanced to the other grade should
those receiving the better compensation
show themselves inferior with respect to
the duties assigned them.
Proposed Tenth Precinct.
The city is now divided into nine police
precincts and has been since before the
growth of the suburbs. That extensive
territory lying north of Florida avenue be-
tween Benntng road the east, Rock
creek on the west and the Maryland line
on the north has grown to the proportion
of city, population and wealth being con-
sidered. while the police protection af-
forded 1t is the same now when it con-
sisted of unimproVed lots and commons
Some of the villages and institutions in
cluded therein are Mount Pleasant, Bright
wood, Soldiers Home, Takoma Brookland
lexington, University Heights, Howard
University, Metropolis View, lie Droit
Park, Catholic University, Lamond, Rock
Creek Church, National Park, Terra Gotta,
Petworth. Lanier Heights and Congress
Heights, surrounded by an immediate pop
ulation of at least 10000. This section has
it's schools, churches and engine houses,
but no police station. An appropriation has
been asked for TO provide and equip a new
station house, to be located therein; also
for a command of at least fifty men and
necessary employees to facilitate the bust
ness requirem mentS of such.
80 greatly is this station house needed,
in the opinion of the Commits Soners that
they reluctantly relinquish their purpose of
at this time endeavoring to provide CEN
trail station in the heart of the city, to take
the place of the old station No l, which is
very imperfect in equipment and accommo-
dauons, and which 1t is hoped may be pro-
vided ere long.
IN this connection 1t may be stated that
III olucr 10 pIONlue Il proper complement OF
men for the proposed tenth precinct. pro-
vision should be made for mounting at
least six of them, for duty in the outlying
sections of the precinct.
The station itself should be of modern
style Of architecture and be provided with
everything that would tend to adapt il for
the purpose for which it would be used
both from sanitary and useful standpoints.
The estimates include the purchase of a
lot anG the construction of a building at a
cost of $4,000.
The Sanitary officer.
A report of the police department would
be incomplete without reference to the
excellent work of the sanitary officer Com
paratively few people know what is done
in the sanitary office. There the poor. the
insane, the vagrants ordered to leave the
city and the sick are taken or go for a
disposition Of their cases. The sanitary
officer has entire charge of the ambulance
service. the placing of the INDECENT sick in
the various hospitals, the transportation
of prisoners and paupers, and the commit
ment of the insane to the asylum Pecu-
liarly fitted for these trying duties, lis
sanitary officer, with patience and skill,
in quiet way, has accomplished a vast
amount of good work for the District 1t
is pleasure to have been able TO provide