The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-04
4 LARGER FORCE NEEDED
Major Sylvester's Argument in
Favor of More Policemen.
The Present Number Entirely In
adequate to Properly Protect Lives
Suburban Districts Practically at
the Mercy of Thieves and burglars.

Major and Superintendent Sylvester ana
Commissioner Ross, who has immediate
supervision OF the department, will appear
before the committee and urge the addi'
ton of men and appliances along the lines
laid down by Major Sylvester in his last
annual report. This was in brief the in
crease of the force by the addition OF
100 men. and the proper equipment of the
new Tenth precinct, for which the station
house is now being built The last would
require the appointment of one lieuten-
ant. three sergeants, one stationkeeper,
and one driver for night work. This Off
cial contingent, with twenty-five privates
of those asked for, would constitute the
new command.
Major Sylvester two years ago made a
strong representation to Congress with
reference 10 the weakness of the force,
and the need of additional men to afford
the city and District proper police pro-
lection At that time he asked Congress
to provide for the pay of 200 men TO be
added to the police force. Since that time
Congress has made provision for forty
men. and the Superintendent now holds
to his original proposition that Congress
should now provide him with the remain
ing 100 men to enable him and his subor-
dinate officers to do the work of patrolling
the District and giving suitable protection
TO the people and property of the National
Capital
My chief reason" said Major Sylves-
ter TO a Times reporter, for asking this
quota of new privates is that we have
fewer men for police work than any other
city of the size of Washington" As proof
of this Major Sylvester showed a table of
cities in which the area was given in acres
and the number of the police force in each.
This table shows that Baltimore has an
area of 24.171 acres. and has $50 police
men. as compared with "A, 800 acres of ter
ritory in Washington and 526 policemen.
That is to say while Baltimore has lit
tie over half the area of the District it
has more than 500 more policemen. The
table showed that St Louis has 40G00
acres and 976 policemen. The city of De-
troit has about the same number OF men
on the police force as Washington. the
number being $40. but it has only Is. 1863
acres TO cover. This table. Major Sylves-
ter explained, was compiled three years
ago, but he said the relative figures were
about the same a the present time. He
stated that while Cincinnati has almost ex-
actly one-half Of the territory Of Wash
ington it has four more policemen.
The Present Force Inadequate.
tendent. lone of two things. that we are
doing better police work in the District OF
Columbia than is being done in other cities
OF that We need more men. l do not think
much fault can be found with the conduct
of the force when all the facts are under
stood. In my opinion the number OF men
is inadequate for the work required OF
the department
Il think people are apt to be misled in
their consideration of the question. For
instance they will take up the annual re-
port and they will read that the force
consists of 571 officers and men; one su-
perintendent, one captain. three lieuten-
ant inspectors nine lieutenants. thirty
two sergeants and 525 privates. They al
so find out in some way that the main
tenanee Of this force Of men with the sta
tions and other accessories of the depart
ment costs a large sum of money and they |
jump to the conclusion that the present |
number is an adequate agency for all |
practical and potential purposes. They |
do not realize that the effective number OF |
policemen is found after deducting the !
number of-those who may be sick or on |
leave, those who may be assigned TO 1
special duty or on duty at post assign |
ment, such as the White House and le- /
cations.
The force thus reduced is divided into |
four reliefs during The twenty-four hours |
OF the day. Ole-fourth part of the men |
patrol beats during the fore part OF the |
day, and equal number in the after
part of the day. One-h half of the entire
available force do patrol duty at night on
the principle that persons and property
are more liable 10 attack under cover of
darkness than al any other time
How the Force IL Divided.
AT given time the disposition of the
force would be about as follows At
headquarters there would be the Superin-
-endent. the captain. and three lieutenant
inspectors. At the different stationhouses
would be the nine lieutenants and their
;taifs of desk men and drivers. On patrol
duty would be &c sergeants and about 3l5
policemen. The remainder of the 517 would
De reduced about as follows: Assigned to
posts, 81; detectives, u; other special de-
Iails, 81; sick or absent on leave, So OF
he 3l5 available men only part are on
iuty Mt any one time. For example, there
would be doing duty in the day time /;
'bout IS priyates. and Isl in the night.
That is TO say, by the exigencies men /:
Toned the force OF 81 policemen which {
,eople III general think sufficient is re-
Iuced to a good deal less than half that |
lumber for actual police work on the {
treets. This number is a ridicuIously
mall quota for territorial area of sew
nty square miles,
Major Sylvester emphasized the fact (
hat there are always less than 200 police {
1en patrolling the streets at night He {
links there ought 10 be twice as many {
'erson and property are not very wen I
rotected even in the crowded parts OF the ,
fly. owing 10 the scattering of the men !
yer so wide field. And he stated that l
was impossible with the force at his s
isposal TO attempt 10 cover the suburban I
iStricts which ought to be patrolled. He !
aid that II was unjust to many parts of |
he District TO leave them at night, either !
'ithOut airy police protection or such as {
-Culd be OF little avail in case Of personal {
tack or burglary. This lack of men for I
light work. Major Sylvester declared was [
he weakest point In the system. He also !
ailed special attention to the fifty-seven
len assigned TO post duty where no pa c
rolling Is done. He said these men are
n duty eight hours out OF the twenty q
Dur, and he showed that the number was a
o small that the posts have to be left /
for one eight-hour period Of the [
ay. He is Of the opinion that there ought | a
D be at once twenty-eight additional men i
Or this duty on post assignment
No Police for Special Duty.
Attention was called to another feature j.,
{ the situation, which Major Sylvester /
aid gave him good deal of trouble At v
ines an emergency arises In which five :
r Elk men are required at once for spe-
lal duty. He instanced the necessity for !,
furnishing a special detail of men to :
uard the Chinese Legation at the time =
hen affairs were in a critical stage in