The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-06
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102 and 203 New Va,

markable record. considering the ,,,,,,.
circumstances, the smaIlness os tho $50
ana the class Of criminals II had 70 hs,,A,,
Inc Seattle civil service commission T., NJ
vemoer' 1888, PASSED the following reso,,.
ton: se'o'u
Al common with other citizens OF .,,r
CITY the civil service commission ra,o,oos
over the excellent work being done bv ire
ponce department Of the city. and dasf,ss
hereby to express its appreciation Of sucb
WORK Inc continuance OF the Wort, aora
" tue department for the last several
months Will make this city a p,.ca ,oo
not ior the ordinary criminal, ana cause
general rejoicing on the part OF the CHI
zens" wv
Inc duties OF the Seattle patrolrnen are
enormous, and entirely beyond their ability
10 handle thoroughly. They not only have
more to do and a wider territory 10 cover
than the police OF any other city OF the
United States. but are paid comoarat,veIv
less. This Is shown In comparative sgu,es
which have been secured
The average number OF acres coverss bv
each patrolman In the twenty chief cities
OF the Union is forty-one, but in Seattle
tne outy Is to take care OF 56s acres, or
nearly square mile for EACH man on the
beat. This is provided that all the patrol
men work at once; as only half Of them
can work at time, IL makes the territory
double, or over LOO acres. There IL also
the great difference In the comparative
number OF policemen according TO the nom
ulation. The average for these twenty
cities Is a policemen to every SOL of popula.
ton, but here the share IL 1877 peopla 10
the ofiicer. To show the conditions SIN
more, there Is a difference OF 81 a day in
the pay OF the officers. the average for the
other cities being S.ia2 a man. including
all on the police pay roll, while here II Is
only @72 year. an actual difference to
the employ of $500 per anum.
There are only twenty-one patrolmen
that can be used at night, and the services
OF twelve Of these are required down town,
leaving only nine for the residence dis
tricts The allotment of territory to the
man Is therefore great that fortunate
indeed Is he II he can take care of II and
prevent the enactment OF crime on his
beat.
AN ENORMOUS TASK.
The Queen Anne man has to take in the
OF the hill. covering three or four square
niles Another man has all OF the Queen
Anne hin to look after. The patro1man On
the first hill has to be all the way from
Fourth to Fourteenth avenues and form
YesIer to Pike street. while the Jackson
street officer goes from Weller street north.
including the wala walla addition, hav-
Ing an area Of four or five square miles.
Another goes from the upper end ~ Pike
street to the Western mill. on Lake Union,
a distric. two miles long, and covers
the hills on both sides. The North Seattle
street man goes frcm First avenue to Pike
street to Eleventh and Twelfth avenues
and out to Denny way. while another has
from Yesier to he southern part Of the
city toward Beacon hin and east 20 Broad
way. Another goes from Queen Anne hin
to Salmon bay. the north line Of the city
limits
II is OF course impossible 10 cover all the
city, and the Renton. Beacon Hill and 9th
err districts have 10 so unprotected. con-
dition that the department cannot remedy
without the force is increased.
To show In detail the conditions here
when compared with other cities OF the
United states. the following table is given.
The figures OF the twenty large cities en-
umerated were compiled by Chief Hanger.
Of Louisville, who presented them al the
convention OF chiefs OF police held at Chat
tanooga, Tenn. in 1879. The figures are for
inns and 10 get an accurate comparison.
seattle's showing for the same year Is
given af,erward: