New-York tribune., 1899-06-14
LARGER POLICE FORCE NEEDED.
THE BOARD IN ITS ANNUAL REPORT I'll"
FIGURES TO SHOW THIS.

Tho animal report of the Police Department VI
this city for the year 1898 was puohsneo 's :.
and filled thirty-six pages OF Ihe O"s =,
In the year the police arrested lfi''o pe's'
whom il5eoa were men and %'lh were WIN
The prisoners under the age OF twenty years nun,
bered lssl9 Married men TO the nuhoei % % -
and married women to the number OF lo4" "e,e
among the prisoners Policemen OF the o'o'0'e
squad made 20lS arrests MANA
The no,,ce took care of Si57 children who were
Lost IN the streets and 1884 Of the chiidteh "e,s
restored to their parents or guardians "hhe %
- oo,,,n,,ted IN Institutions. The police sent
an, alarms for ISL missing persons Unknown per
SONS 10 the number Of 22s were found dead IN .ne
city and 1871 abandoned babies were sent u '"e
Founding Asylum. ,.
There were tests OF 11.SS steam boilers IN tne c''
ord no bolers exploded. The sanitary squad IN
vestigated 2S65s complaints. and caused oZ'l" al
legged nuisances to be abated The Comm'ssionels ~
cav that the following comparative statement
shows n necessity for an increase OF the ponce
force: Police 70
Year Population. rat;S force population; "a G7s
1876 .............. l.0a55332 as ast 70 52S
5ssS 1899 cI.sicr city, 5$ssS5s sSsssS5s $3.50 $3.50 70 SIS
A recommendation by Chief Devery OF legislation
to permit magistrates to commit to the workho"se
for ninety days any professional thief found IN
public place Is included in the report |h'ei De'-
ery's argument is as follows
From July |, 1885, up to the present time, among
the arrests Of professional thieves MAGE py n,ei n
hers of the Detective Bureau were ool cases IN III
which the prisoners were discharged iminedlateIy
upon their arraignment In the Clty MdeIs.ia W. S
courts and yet these professional thieves Weie
rested In places and under circumstances "nlch
made II reasonably certain that they were theTe
IN steal: nevertheless the magistrates couiu not
hold them under the laws as they at preseilt ehs,
In one case a weknOwn professional tnlei was
arrested eleven times and discharged eleven tInels l
10 80 back again as before and prey upon the pup
iic There can be no doubt Of the constant pres,
ence of such classes Of thieves In THIS as IN an
other cities ard the fact that they have no visible
means OF support by honest Work Is 8rouIo ioI
the assumption that they live by stealing, Onuer
nresent conditions II is practically Impossible eltner
10 get rid of them to prevent tnelr uepIeuiaa
tons An arrest under present conditions usual!
means for them only an incarceration OF tweNe or
twenty four hours at the most, followed oy oiS-
charge This is a minor Inconvenience that thee
thieves are very willing to risk for the chance a1 OF
mixing in among the public at gatherings OF an
kinds and stealing when the opportunity presents
itself
Regarding the work OF the police at the elections
Devery is allowed 10 say:
Anart from the protection of life, there is no
more important duty the police have to perform
than that pertaining to elections. Honest falthlu
and efficient work by the police In THIS respect
means an honest vote an honest count and cor,
rect record of the will OF the people expressed
by them at the polls. From the first moment OF
my assuming by the grace Of your Board, charge
OF the police force It's executive head en-
deavored to impress upon the force. through It's
superor officers the responsibility that lay upon
them in the matter Of elections.