The age-herald., 1900-02-07
FEN ADDITIONAL MEN ASKED FOR City Council VIII Act on Petition
 for More PatroImen. PRESENT FORCE INADEQUATE Protection Now Afforded Only Very Limited Portion of City Chief
 Austins Splendid Showing
 Need Twenty-Five
PRESENT FORCE INADEQUATE E

At tonight's meeting of the board of may or and aldermen the petition of the police commission and Chief Austin for ten ad- diuonal patrolmen will be reported on by the committee and it's adoption urged. It is well known fact that the depart ment is not sufficient to afford the City the necessary protection, the residence portion being entirely unprotected. At the present these being divided into two shifts-day and night. In addition there is one chief and a day and night captain.
 ~-yThe officers are distributed over the city as follows: One man patrols First avenue from Eighteenth to Twentieth street, from alley to alley. Another patrols First ave nue between Twentieth and Twenty-second streets, alley to alley. On Second avenue one man cares for the beat from Twentieth to Twenty-second streets. Another man Is situated on this avenue between Eighteenth and Twenty-tifth streets. One man is To- cated on Third avenue between Sixteenth and Twenty-second streets. The same territory is guarded by one man on Fourth avenue
 This is all the protection afforded the northern portion of the city, leaving by far the greater portion unpatrolled.
 There are only two men who work all the western part of the city from Twenty-sec- ond street back, both north and south. They are always kept very busy in the numerous dives in this district. and two men are on Second avenue to cover an equal !, ,ie haa thirteen fourteen saloons. There are two men who work east of Twenty-second street, both north and south In this district is located Pigeon Roost and Buzzard Roost. ms IS the toughest" part of Birmingham, and it was only short time ago that muroer occurred in McAnnally's quarters.
 On SouJa Twentieth street there are o"o men patroling from the railroads out as far as Avenue E, and from Eighteenth to Twenty street. The South fish- lands have no police protection whatever being in the same condiIon as the Noruh Highlands. 1ne orly protection whsch ei'e de2artment can offer these parts of the city is the single mounted m1zin on duty at the station day and one at night
 When there is any public entertainment as at fine theaters. two men are usually required to be on duty there, for the preSer- vation of order, when Tn reality only one man can be spared. When this is done a beat must be left without protection, 10 meet the demands. At other public enter tainments it is a matter of impossblhty to have policemen attend, otherwise the men must be taken from their beats and leave the business houses at the mercy of thieves.
 Chieff Austin, through irhe pollce comnis- sion. has asked the mayor and board Of aldermen repeatedly ito give him additional men. The city really needs at least twenty five new men, but would gladly accept ten. The last request was made by the board of commissioners a short time ago.
 In Atlanta there are one hundred and forty men who do no more toward guarding the peace of that city than do the thirty two in Birmingham. It Is very desirable that two mounted men be on duty simul- taneously, as 1t is very dangerous for one man to proceed alone to quell disturb ance or make an arrest.
 Last year the fines and fees received by the police court amonunted to 16,S03.S6, ar increase over 1898 of $6,761.74. The expense of the department for the same period was only $37, ,26432. an increase over the previous year of $4,17O.53. Since the Inauguration of Chief Austin there lhas also been large increase in Ithe number of arrests made by the force He (has furnished an average of foo prisoners daily to the city at 50 cents per day, thereby deriving an income of $50 per day from this source.
 The mayor and board of aldermen will act on the matter tonight.