The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-09
washinston'. Police Force,

Washington needs a larger police force
needs it at once. and needs IL badly MajcI
Sylvester has repeatedly made re .onmea-
datiOns TO Congress for an increase his re-
quest being seconded by the District Com
for the Capital as well as the nation has
persisiently refused to authorize an ade-
qrates humber OF bluecoats. At the lasi
sc s-iea- The Chief OF Police entered an ap-
plicstion for two hundred additional men:
Congress gave him twenty-six. With a po-
lice area OF more than seventy-two square
miles the fourth in size in the United
States. Washington has fewer men to patrol
its streets and protest its citizens than Phil
adelphia. Chicago. New Orleans. or Balti-
more.s There are. allowing for the neces-
sary leaves Of absence, sickness. duties at
headquarters. and at various fixed posts in
the District about three hundred and
eighty policemen TO do patrol SEA vice in the
large territory under Major Sylvester :
Jurisdiction. Owing TO the fact that men
cannot perform continuous duty during
twenfy-four hours. the total available
working force is reduced about one-ralf
during the day and embraces less Than
that number al night
If any further emphasis were needed for
the assertion that the Capital police guar
dians are too few in number to properly
guard the welfare OF citizens and protest
their property, it was furnished Sunday
night, when Gen. a. w. Greedy was
yiciously assaulted on his own doorstep by
a drunken ruffian. who threw down the
stone stairway and inflicted serious injuries
upon the venerable Chief Signal Officer Ct
the United States Army. This exhibition OF
Towdyisn occurred at a comparatively early
hour in the evening and after the offender
had made himself obnoxious TO many resi-
dents and passers-by in the neighborhood
northwest
No blame rests upon the police force
for this aggravated breach of the peace
The nearest officer was half mile away
when The rlIfiiian made his attack, and has
tened TO the scene Immediately upon hear
question has iwenty-three squares on his
beat. To cover il with its several thor
oughfares. alleyways etc, he must traverse
a distance of nearly twenty lineal miles.
The natural consequence is that some one
may be murdered with impunity On one
end of his territory while he is far away
endeavoring 10 hurriedly inspect the i'm
mense area given into his charge.
This beat is an average one, those in the
business quarters being slightly less in ex-
tent and those in the outlying districts
larger. Every effort is made
to distribute the available policemen so that
they may be able to successfully guard all
important points. But the number is so
grossly Insufficient that episodes similar to
the rpsibreatment of General Greedy al his
own home may be expected to continue
despite the best energies OF the over
worked meE Sho try to guard the city
When the assault upon General Greedy oc-
CURED there was on duty one officer to each
square mile OF territory, the average num-
Der OF persons in each jurisdiction being
three Thousand seven hundred and thirty
three
There are go many good reasons for aug
menting the local police force that IT is i'm
possible for Congress TO longer delay ac-
ton without being open TO public con-
domination. The National Capital is nat
urally the Mecca for every demented in
diyidual who thinks he has personal
grievance against the executive authorities.
4 proper sense of caution demands that all
the higher officials, whose prominence
makes them the target OF lunatics and |
franks. shall be well protected against such |
persons Representatives of foreign gov |
srnments. as recent attack upon the Brit |
sh Embassy proves. need also TO be |
guarded from the outbreaks Of the vicious
md the insane.
The distressing fact OF the matter IS
plainly that any respectable citizen OF |
is likely 10 be dragged |
rom his doorway, and hurled down to the
gutter by some drunken or demented |
wretch. or. in his absence. the members
If his family may be maltreated by some
-uiiian who ought to be IN a mad house or
| penitentiary. With the residential sec
ion left practically unguarded during this
,usy season Of the year, no home can he
aid to be safe from invasion and no citi-
zen is immune from an unexpected attack.
While there is deep sympathy for Gen