Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-25
THE GUATEMALAN POLICE
Plan for Its Organization Prepared by
Major R. W. Sylvester.
Letter to Senior Antonio Lazo Arri-
aga, Upon Whose Request the
Regulations Were Drafted.

| to the United States, Major Sylvester,
| perintcndent of the District police depart
ment, has prepared plan for the organiza-
| ton of a police force for the republic of
! Guatemala. The plan which has received
| the approval of Senior Arriaga, has been
| forwarded to his home government which
| it is expected will promptly indorse the
| same and put it into execution.
synopsis of the plan is contained in the
! following letter from Major Sylvester to
Senior Arriaga:
Referring to your verbal request of the
18th of January, 1899, that should express
| to you my opinion to how u modern po-
lice organization should be constituted and
/ employed in order to secure the best re-
suits for a municipality of about 10000 in
habitants, with a view of adopting such
suggestions for the city of Guatemala, l
have the honor to state there are many
questions involved, with which l am not
acquainted, which might interfere with the
success of a plan which l might propose.
Such questions, however, should not OBJ
struct the institution of the organization,
and where the methods of application
involved they could be adapted to suit
the conditions which exist, if you employ
| proper executive to carry the same into
effect. / am, of course, unfamiliar with
your laws, the disposition of your people
and their manner of living, especially as to
their character of employment and recrea-
ton.
New Methods aud Manners.
Citizens will not become accustomed to
| new methods and manners except in time
and by proper education, which above all
must not be inculcated by arbitrary power
and main force. Reason, courtesy and
kindness in governing a police force and
in dealing with the populace is productive
of the best results. Such action must be
accompanied, on The other hand, by firm
ness.
From what you have told me, and with
what knowledge ] have from study of the
situation, would suggest, in the first place,
that your highest state authority appoint
for cities having a population of 5000 in
habitants or more three persons for term
of, say, three years, to be known as the
board of police commissioners, men of un-
doubted loyalty to the state and in accord
with the government. These commissioners
should each receive a salary and be author
lied to direct the police organiza ton in the
city for which appointed. They should APP
point the person in charge of the police and
all subordinate officers all of whom should
be retained in office so long as their con-
duct is good and they live up to the laws
and regulations which the government may
prescribe for their conduct. One of the
commissioners should be the mayor of the
city.
Constitution of the Board.
The board of police commissioners
should be charged with maintaining peace
and good order, preventing crime suppress
Ais7 ituutiilS anu Win
seeing that all the laws are properly en-
forced by the police. They should be en-
powered to make regulations or rules for
the obedience of the police force which
should consist of: Chief of police, assistant
to chief of police, secretary to chief of
police, property clerk clerk two surgeons
four captains, twelve sergeants, 240 pri-
Yates, eight desk sergeants, eight janitors
eight drivers
The chief of police, as his name i'm
plies, should have command of the force
and use it to maintain peace and good or
der, prevent and detect crime and to en-
force The laws. He should have full con-
troll and have his actions, expenditures for
salaries and expenses for conducting the
police department referred to the board of
commissioners for approval before such cx-
penditures are finally settled by the govern
ment accounting officer.
Assistant chief of police should act as
chief when the latter is sick or absent and
at other times be the general inspector of
the force, to see that men are performing
their duties properly, to transmit orders of
the chief and to that they are carried
out.
The secretary to the chief of police
should attend to all correspondence, issue
written orders and keep such records as
might be necessary.
THE property clerk should keep a record
of all lost or stolen property recovered by
the police and deliver it to owners upon
proof of ownership, taking receipts for the
same All such property as [ have de
scribed should go to this clerk from the
police, through the captains. who should
accompany the property with certificates
over their signatures.
The two surgeons should examine all
applicants who are appointed to the force
and certify that they are sound physically;
should examine all sick policemen and doc
tor them, and treat prisoners.
Captains in Charge
''The captains should each one have
oh of Gic;r nd ha ,ols,
assigned to such district. The sergeants
should be next in command to the captains,
three of them being assigned to each dis
trict. Sixty privates should be detailed to
each district. Two desk sergeants should
be employed in each district, one as clerk
in the day, and one at night. They should
register the names of all prisoners make
all reports for the captains to sign be-
fore they are sent to the chief of police
One janitor should lock up prisoners feed
them and keep the lookup clean in the
day time, and a. night.
II patrol wagons employed at each
station to answer telephone calls that a
person has been arrested, one driver for
day and one for night should be employed.
II detective force is required, there
should be a chief of detectives with head
quarters with the chief of police He
should have at least four men under him
in plain or citizens clothing, but this force
should be subject to the chief of police
Ihey should know the language and be
employed where special skill is necessary,
The chief of police, assistant, secretary
property clerk and surgeons should have
their offices at one place, with telephone
connecting with each captain.
Number of Districts.
'"The city should be divided into four dis
tricts, numbered one, two, three and four
respectively, each as square in area as
possible, and each be placed in charge of
captain. Each of the latter should have
three sergeants and sixty privates under
him. AT, S O'Clock am. sergeant and
twenty priyates, who should be drilled to
march, should be in line, before the cap
tain, and receive Instructions and told what
had happened anywhere in the city and |
what was wanted. Thereupon they should |
be marched out to their beats. The twenty
men should have assigned to them each so
much territory to patrol irregularly. The
sergeants should start each private on his |
beat and after all are at work visit them
at unexpected times, to see that they are |
properly performing their duties
AT o'clock pm. the first twenty men |
and the sergeant should return to the lock-