The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-03

THE policing of a large city is one of
the NEST difficult of municipal problems,
and when this has to be done with lin
tied and Inadequate force every element in
the question CT efficiency is.involved with
perplexity" This remark by Richard Syl-
vester, Major and Superintendent of Po-
lice, to a reporter for The Times recently,
ton. numbers, and efficiency of the Metro
politan Police Force.
The personnel of the force. as gwen in
the last appropriation bill. is the Major
and Superintendent. captain of police,
three lieutenant inspectors, chief clerk,
four clerks. four surgeons Of the police
and fire departments, fourteen privates de-
tailed for special service as detectives,
nine lieutenants, thirty two sergeants, S25
privates of the first class, 215 privates of
the second class, three telephone oper-
ators twenty-one station keepers, eleven
laborers. laborer in charge of the morgue,
two messengers, major and superintendent
mounted, captain mounted. forty nine
lieutenants sergeants, and privates
mounted tyenty-four drivers, and three
police matrons.
In addition to the men included in the
above list, twenty-five men uniformed and
clothed with the powers Of regular police
men TO make arrests within their posts Of
duty perform service at certain street
railroad crossings, who are paid by the
railroad companies. These men are under
the rules of the regular force and are
obliged 10 report TO the precincts in which
their fields OF duty lie. Additional pri-
Yates also have been appointed TO the
number of about sixty, who perform spe
cial service at various points in the Dis
trict. In this class are TO be found the
janitors Of schools and of public buildings,
private watchmen. and in some instances
clerks, who are not uniformed and who are
only policemen in a very restricted sense,
Though they are in a way connected with
the force and are subject to its discipline
signal from the patrol boxes on their beats,
on The half hour, or between the hours
designated for the members of the reg
ular force. This has the effect. as ex-
perienee proves, to keep the additional
privates on the alert and secure from
them a more Strict and systematic attend
ance to duty.
AS explained by the Superintendent,
this force of men would be large enough
II iutN COulu all De on service at the same
time and continuously for twenty-four
hours every day. It happens, however,
that for the necessity of rest, sickness,
and the period Of leave provided for by
law only about 165 of the regular police
men can be on duty at any one time.
The District is seventy-two square miles
in area and has a population of a7S. 000
giving one policeman on the average to
1885 people. and about two patrolmen to
the square mile. In other words. while
Washington has the fourth largest police
jurisdiction in the United States, being
excelled by New York, Chicago and Phila-
delphia, the work of policing it is done
by a much smaller force relatively than
any OF the cities mentioned.
Che PoIiccman's Daily Grind.
force from the standpoint of the Superin-
tendent, Major Sylvester said that the
public is not generally aware of the unre-
hitting attention 10 duty and the fire.
quent oyerwork required of the average
policeman. When il is considered, he
said that the individuals composing it
are but human beings, who cannot 90
things impossible, and who must have
the rest and refreshment that is afforded
others, proper idea may be had as to
what the force has TO contend with
While regular hours are designated for
them to go on and come off duty they are
in fact, always on duty. Not infrequently
the man Who goes on the street at mid
night andsreports at the station at 6
o'clock a. Tns is given only sufficient time
to breakfast on sandwich and cup Of
coffee before proceeding to the Police
Court, where he is expected to give clear
and succinct evidence in the prosecution
Itbf lot i'm nff
noon. when he reports its disposition,
gets his dinner, and patrols the streets
from 8 O'Clock p. m. TO midnight.
The police day begins at o'clock a. NJ.
when a member of the force Will start out
and patrol his beat until 1 p. NJ. when he
reports of at the station, and remains in
the stationhouse on reserve until 6 o'clock
p. m, when he is relieved from all duty
until u o'clock midnight. Then he goes
or until 6 a. m, when his day off bsgins
and continues until 6 O'Clock p. m, when
he resumes duty until midnight. at that
hour going on reserve until l O'Clock the
following day. when he goes on until 6
O'Clock p. m; returns for reserve duty to
conclude by performing street duty from
midnight to 6 O'Clock in the morning.
That member under the regulations gov
erDing his conduct. is required to b. r5-
spectful, clearly in appearance and dress,
prompt and FIRM to constantly patrol his
beat, be able to give intelligent responses
to all enquiries: TO pay his just debts; to
be honest and sober: 10 prevent crime.
arrest offenders, keen a memorandum Of
suspicious houses and persons, and of all
matters OF police interest; toaTbitratecom-
plants concerning growing ROSTERS ana
barking dogs; to be kind TO individuals in
capable of caring for themselves. attend
inquests and report accidents, attempts at
suicide. animals astray, abandoned infants,
dead infants, dead bodies f-uad, drown
ings, dead animals. dangerous and broken
payements, roadways, buildings, and
bridges. doors and windows found open,
damaged trees and boxes. fires, fireplugs
damaged filthy streets. alleys. and gut
/ tiers; persons found SICK damaged hyd-
rants, lamps not lighted or damaged.
pumps out of order. permits examined.
sewers damaged. filthy sewers, water
mains and pipes damaged, and other mat
tiers too numerous TO mention.
In this wise the whole force operates
day after day and night after night. In
some localities If is dangerous for a
private to perform his duty alone, and in
the night time his beat is doubled--that
is two men patrol it. insufficient force
prevents this course being followed on
many beats whore it is desirable"
Major Sylvester explained that this was
the natural order of things when nothing
extraordinary is required of the force. But
II happens. he said, that several times a
year some convention, reunion or ami
versary comes off which requires a speciai
detail of men. Then il is that men have
to be taken off the beats and put TO the
pressing and more important duty. The
Superintendent explained that this neces-
sarily left the area covered by these men
without police protection or made 1t nee
essary to double up beats. TO the injury
Of both beats patroied by one man. What