The evening times., 1899-10-28
POLICE FORCE EXPANSION
Major Sylvester Recommends an
Increase of B..uee0ats.
His Annual Report Submitted to the
District ssiOners-AdditiOnal
The Proposed Mount Pleasant Pre-
cinct-The Pay of Lieutenants.

mitted to the Commissfohers today. Major
Sylvester begins his report with his esti-
mates for the fiscal, year ending June /.
| 1901, all of which have been published.
after which comes an explanatory state
ment of the needs Of the department most
of which have also been published
The Jurisdiction OF the District police
| force is greater than that of any other
| city in the United States, with the excep-
! tion of New York. Chicago. and Phi-adel-
phia, the Major states, and it is in two
divisions. The subdivisions as now con-
| stituted are supervised by two lieutenant
inspectors within the city limits. while
| the outlying territory is in charge OF the
captain of the police. whose official duties
more properly call for his presence at
Headquarters as the assistant OF the major
and superintendent. the latter's time Icing
occupied almost exclusively at present in
disciplining the force, a work which the
laws and regulations contemplate should.
in a measure be performed by the captain
Congress is therefore asked to provide an
additional lieutenant inspector. who snail
relieve the captain Of the duties he now
performs and allow him time to give his
attention to important matters at Head
quarters.
The additional clerks at Headquarters are
also required to perform the work OF re-
ceiving and recording letters and commit
nications that are sent to the major ana
superintendent. receiving complaints, re-
cording arrests, making out the payroiis,
and hundreds Of other matters that are now
attended to by detailed policemen. 1t is
also requested that the policemen on duty
as bailiffs at the police court and as watch
men at the workhouse be relieved Of such
work and men employed in their places fo-
these duties alone.
With regard to the police surgeons, Ma
jor Sylvester is of the opinion that, on ac-
count of the arduous labors they have to
perform in visiting the officers OF the de-
partment when they are i'll and attending
to the examination Of insane prisoners to
the exclusion of their private practice. their
pay should be made to compensate them for
their loss of time.
The Detective Force.
The present organization OF the detective
force the major states. is not exactly to
his liking. The law which originally ere
ated detective service for the District has
been annulled and the authorities have been
authorized by later legislation TO detail
certain number Of privates who are al
lowed extra compensation for duty as de-
tectives. These men in times past have
been tied down to home study and their
familiarity with the criminal classes has
been limited to the local characters ana
methods. The department has been very
fortunate however, in the capture OF the
professionals that have visited the city and
in this manner the detectives have picked
up some OF the most desperate and danger
Gus crooks in the country.
1t has been the aim OF Major Sylvester
to extend the facilities for individual i'm
provement in this service and one or more
of their number have been detailed to i'm
portant gatherings in other parts Of the
country to participate in the detective
work in order to familiarize them
with general as well as local af-
fairs. 1t has. therefore. been the
aim of the superintendent to IA
cilitate the general training of the corps
by the detail of more privates for the work
The citizens of Washington have been ed
ucated to report the loss of every conceiv-
able thing to the detectives and expect i'm
mediate results. Therefore. the Major
recommends that the detective force be
increased by at least four additional mem-
bers with increased pay
The pay CT the police lieuteuants at pres
ent is the same as that Of a member of the
detective corps This rate of compensation
was fixed before the force attained the i'm
portance that it now has. and it is the
desire of the superintendent to have the
precinct commanders salaries raised to
an amount which will be commensurate
with the duties they perform. The same
may be said Of the pay OF the sergeants OF
the force. These men are the superiors
of the detectives and yet the latter receive
more pay. Their responsibilities are great
er than those Of a private and have in
creased in greater proportion than those Of
their immediate superiors for the reason
that although a number of privates have
been added to the force from time to time,
no provision was made for additional ser
geants. The enforcement OF the new regu-
laticns regarding the good coduct and eff
cheney of the privates and the fact that
they must act as lieutenants in the absence
of their superior, adds greatly to their
duties.
\ New Precinct.
With regard to the new police precinct
which Congress is requested to establish
north Of Florida Avenue. in Mt Pleasant,
Major Sylvester states:
'In submitting an estimate for the fiscal
year 1899. 200 privates were asked for as
being the number of men actually needed
to give the seventy square miles Of Dis
trict territory proper police protection In
the face of the probable limited revenues
that may be available for police purposes,
favorable conditions will enable possible
continuance of the present force for year
longer. should Congress be generous enough
to appropriate for the lieutenant, three
sergeants. fifty privates. two station keep
ers, janitor. and two drivers. who will be
necessary to make the full complement Of
men for the proposed Tenth precinct.
1.-THE extensive area north OF Florida
Aeexue. and bounded by Rock Greek on
the west and Benning Road on the east, in
cluding ever fifteen square miles Of terri
tory and population OF about 80. 900 peo-
pie, has been and is now dividing the po-
lice command of the city whereby one Sec
tion suffers at the expense of the other.
patrol and of the city precinct contiguous
has long been and Is now source Of just
complaint and criticism. The establish |
ment of the Tenth precinct, which was
years ago contemplated by law-seetion 369 |
Revised Statut,s relating to the District |
of Columbia-with its proper quota Of |
guardians of the peace, is necessity.
The Proposed Limits.
''The proposed precinct should include |
among other villages and Institutions:
Mount Pleasant. Brightwood Soldiers |
Home, Takoma. Brookland. lexington.
University Heights, Howard University,
Metropolis View, LeDroit Park, Catholic
TIpiyorcifv Jaunoud Roclr Hreal, Nburch