The times., 1899-10-25
POLICE AND IE PARKS.
Members of the Force Have jurtsdic
tion of Them Always.

fion of Them Always.
The Commissioners recently received a
letter from John Price. living on Capitol
Hill. which brought to light strange fg-
norance of the United States statutes gov
ernings the District of Columbia among
the employees of the District government.
The letter was complaint against the
defacing of public buildings and grounds,
and the writer asked that the Commis
sioners take some action TO have the nui-
sanCe abated.
When the letter was first received the
District authorities formulated reply to
the effect that the city officials had no
power TO abate nusances committed on
property controlled by the United States
Government, and that the complaint should
have been addressed TO the Super
intendent of Public Buildings and
Grounds. After considering the matter,
however, it was found that the law es-
tablishing the Metropolitan police force
also authorized the various officers en-
ployed to exercise jurisdiction throughout
the city on Government reservations as well
as District property.
For long time the impression has pre-
vailed that the city police had no authority
to make arrests on Government property
and this has often resulted in the escape
OF a criminal who was very badly wanted
The police, or some of them, have not
known that they could enter Government
parks and have refTained from doing so
In order to keep from getting into diff
culties with the United States officials. An
examination of the statute in question
brought to light the fact that the police
OF the District have authority to make ar
rests wherever disorder may occur The
law states that the police have concur
rent jurisdiction with the watchmen 10
the various parks, and they shall be on
the alert at all times to render any as
sistance to the Government police that is
in their power.
The parks and reservations owned by
the United States Government, which com
prise large part of the city itself are pro-
teeted during the day and first part of the
night by special watchmen, paid out of
the appropriation for public buildings and
grounds. These men are without orgaui-
zation or uniform, and are under the per-
sonal supervision of the captain of the
watch at each park or reservation, who
receives his orders directly from Col Theo-
dore Bingham, Superintendent of Public
Buildings and Grounds. The watchmen. as
stated before patrol the districts assigned
~ LHtn Only curing the day and the nrSt
part OF the night. The remainder of the
time the reservations and public places are
under the supervision of the Metropolitan
police force, and the policemen are ex-
pected to see to ii that no disorders occur
within the Government precincts.
1t is not generally understood that the
police have this duty TO perform, and it
has been the impression that the Govern
ment parkiEgs were like foreign territory
TO the District authority, and they were not
allowed to make an arrest therein.
In two of the larger parks of the city,
the Capitol grounds and the reservation
surrounding the Smithsonian Institution, the
watch is kept all of the time by an or
ganized force, but it is not very strict, and
the police of the city are supposed to ex-
ercise the same supervision over this ter
ritory that they do in their own precincts.
Many petty offenders have escaped justice
through the ignorance of the police on
this subject, and it is presumed that a
number Of criminals wanted for graver
crimes have also escaped in the same man
ner.