The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-04
POLICE OF VARIOUS PLACES.
Their Numerical Strength and Cost
The Test of Efficiency.
New York Sun.

The Test of Efficiency.
New York Sun.
There are 6,4O0 New York policemen, a
larger number than the force of any other
city in the country and larger number by
several hundred than the various divisions
of the Greater New York had collectively
before consolidation. There are $500 police
men in the city of Paris, the proportion of
police to inhabitants being larger than il is
in the city of London. There are 10000 po-
licemen In Great Britain. OF these England
has 1882; Scotland, 4744; Ireland. 12.165;
Wales, 1885, the Isle Of Man, So. Liverpool
has 1895; Glasgow, 1920; Dublin. 1.265. and
The number of policemen in the city Of
London Is 16.443. according to the last Of
fetal report. but the police district of Lon
don includes a large amount of outlying
rural and suburban territory with a popu-
lation of 100000, exclusive of the popula-
ton of London proper, which is 400, 600.
The London police district covers an area
of streets or roads and the duty of patrol
ling these accounts very largely for the ex-
tensive membership OF the force when COM
pared with that of most American cities.
Chicago has $3.50 policemen, and the av-
erage number of arrests in year amounts
to 5000, though during the period of the
worlds fair it was considerably higher.
Boston has 100 policemen; Baltimore, 800:
Sc. Louis, LOO: Philadelphia, 1900; Cincin-
natl. 600; Cleveland. 45o; Detroit $50; Wash
ington, 600: San Francisco, 300; Pittsburg,
500 and New Orleans, 320
Among foreign cities Paris stands first I'm
the number of policemen compared with
the whole population. and Palermo. Italy,
stands lowest, with the smallest and least
expensive police force. Capital cities, as a
rule, require more police protection than
other cities even Of larger population. for
as the number of transients in a city in
creases the demand for police service ad-
vances and the expenses Of maintenance
increase correspondence. The test of end
cheney In police department Is not the
number of men engaged, but their capacity
for making arrests Of the right persons, at
the right time, and under conditions which
will be most favorable to their discharge II
innocent their conviction If guilty. A
recent report of the Chicago chief of police
showed the number of arrests in that city
for the crime of homicide to have been LIS
within the period covered. Or those ar
rested three were executed, twenty were
sentenced to terms OF imprisonment, nine
were sent to the reformatory at Pontiac,
seventeen were acquitted and forty-six
cases were still pending at the time OF the
report.
In New York the number Of arrests I'm a
year for felony amounts to about ZOO by
the detective bureau, and the number Of
convictions from such arrests Is about 400.
The number of arrests for homicide In a
year-homicide or MURDERS about ~, ana
the proportion of convictions is decidedly
larger than 1t is i'm the city of Chicago.
which expends for its police department. in
q year about one-third of the sum paid by
New York.
The expense of the Philadelphia police
department is So, 600 year, and the ex-
pense of the Boston police department Is
81 $50 600, or one-half the expense of the
Philadelphia department. The present pop
ulation of Boston is estimated at $4,000
and that of Philadelphia 100000. Relative
ly, therefore, the Boston police department
is the more expensive OF the two, and this
apparent discrepancy is due to the fact
that the number of transient visitors in
Boston is considerably larger than the
number into Philadelphia, regarded usually
as home city," the duties OF the police
department of which are chiefly in the line
of maintaining order. The expense of the
New York police department for 1900 is
Sl2, 100000 approximately, of which $l0,7 900
is Tor police salaries. 100000 fer supplies
and the balance for rentals and contingen-
cies