The evening times., 1900-10-12

| for the new edifce. which VIII be head
| quarters for the Tenth police precinct
| No provision was made fer its conduct
| beyond appropriation fer ons station
| keeper and one laborer. The honorable
| chairman of the House Appropriations
| Committee, however, gave encours cement
| in promising favorable consideration
| Of an estimate for officers and
| priVates SO soon as the new
| building was prepared fer fccu-
pancy. These should include l Heuter-
t ant, sergeants, 25 privates CT class 9,
1 station keeper and 1 driver, for
night work, for which / have allowed in
the page of estimates herewith submit
/ ted. This command should be arailaiIe
! not later than February l, 1891. It might
| be stated that the new building vii be
| modern in appearance and dstail iqcIud-
| ing gymnasium, hot water hea;icg. steel
| cells, baths, and electric appH sncss. and
| when completed win he a model # its
I kind. and an ornament to the District.
| Should provision be made for the number
| of policemen required for appropriate
and adequate protection of the varied
personal and property inter in the
| District of Columbia, it should include
| at least nine more sergeants, three cf
! whom will be absolutely necessary for
the complement needed for the new Tenth
| precinct, and they should be mcuated as
| the new subdivision will be derived
| largely from the outlying or county dis
| trict.
The District of Columbia. with it's
| smooth streets and level highways, is
particularly well adapted to bicycles, and
while the machine may not be SO generally
| utilized a vehicle of pleasure as for
| merly, its value as police Improvement
| has gradually increased. 1t expedites
| and facilitates the proper enforcement of
| the laws and regulations and as an aux
! iliaTg in eg{as II a q indie
I pensable. Il enables the men to make
prompt responses TO calls fer assistance
| and to cover extensive territory in one
) fourth the time in which the footman
could get around. Heretofore the depart
ment has purchased wheels for its use,
| but as every rider has his preference,
| and the item of repairs has become an
! expensive one, after mature study and
consideration, it is believed that economy
| and prompt results would follow if mem
! berS mounted on wheels were required to
; provide their own bicycles and to keep
| the same in repair. Besides benefiting
/ the department, it would give more sat
! isfaction to the operator. 1t is proposed
| that bicycle privates should purchase
! their own wheels and keep them in re-
/ pair, as the mounted officer does his horse
/ aid feeds 1t, with certain small annual
/ allowance in each case as actual compen-
| sation, which has been reckoned at $50
| each per annum- The expense attending
| the perfecting of this service including
| purchase and repair of wheels and pro-
viding Of tachometers, was 81, ,239.49.
a MntrOn Required.
THE majority of women and children
| arrested or detained by the police will
hereafter be cared for pending disposition
of their cases, at the House of Detention.
and the three matrons who are not en-
| NJ fba CT y.-iT
| be transferred to the former institution
| to search and care for such prisoners.
| These matrons will be required to be
present in their official capacity for eight
hours each This detail Will leave the
stationhouses without matrons, yet there
| viii be female prisoners whom Ii will be
necessary to search and secure at one of
| the stationhouses at least. That is, in
| pursuing a practice of economy all fe-
| males of a hardened character will be
| sent TO the First Precinct stationhouse,
where matron's services should be
available This contingency can only be
arranged for by provision being made
| for the employment of one matron under
! the police appropriation. Experience has
| substantiated the value of this officials
connection with stations throughout the
| country and a failure to continue the
/
| principles which would be followed, and
| Justly, too, by public condemnation.
| Largely through the personal efforts
| of Hon. James Mcmillan, at the last ses-
sion of Congress. the Commissioners were
| enabled to secure an appropriation of S.
| 900 for the establishment and mainte-
nance of House of Detention The in
| tention Of the act was to make such pro-
vision as would save young people, male
! and female, who might have first offences
| in crime or misdemeanors charged
| against them, and such women as have
not become hardened criminals. save
| from the rugged influences, unhappy ex-
perienees, and the evil Impressions
| gained by Imprisonment in police station
| cells
anticipating the application of the ap-
preparation thus made, your Superintend-
| ent made efforts to secure building which
! might be adapted for such purposes. but
| found that opposition on the part Of the
| residents in several localities. which IS but
natural where lack of information pertain
| ing to police methods prevail. toward the
| installation of the same. Finally premises
| sos Eighteenth Street northwest, were Sc
! cured, consisting of a four-story building.
which had at one time been used for &c
| partmeut purposes. with a stable under
| meath one portion of it, making it peculiar
| ly well adapted in every respect for the
|
| of repairs. The timbers of the stable floor
| were found to be !ecayed, and 1t
| essary to replace them; gas fixtures were
| found TO be wanting which had to be sup
| piled; two bath rooms for Juvenile prison
| ers were located therein and one for fe-
| males; portable wire screens were placed
| at all windows and doors, in order to es-
| tablish security against escape, and at the
present time the building and its equip
| ment in detail is as thorough, clean. sanf-
| tary, and perfectly fitted out for the work
| as can be found anywhere in the country.
I'm November last the headquarters Of
| the Police Department were removed from
rooms in the building occupied by the Dis
| trict Government on Louisiana Avenue to
rented quarters in the Harper Building.
on Street, Immediately in the rear
| of the District Building, Congress
having provided $500 for such pur-
pose. The advantage which was gained
by this change was the concentration Of
| the several bureaus included within the
| department; that is. the detective office,
| the clerks Office, and that of the Superin-
| tendent are on one floor while Immediately
| beneath, and within easy reach is the offi-e
| of that member of the force who is de-
tailed as sanitary officer. together with the
| storage rooms of the property clerk.
| The Criminal Record.