The Washington times., 1901-11-10
THE POLICE OVBRWORKBD
Major Sylvester Recommends a
Large Increase in the Force.
4 Comparison Between the Depart
ments of This and other Munich
pnIities-The superintendent Re
views the Conditions of the Service

| 4 Comparison between the Depart
| ments of This and other Munich
pnIities-The superintendent Re
views the Conditions of the Service
! The annual report of the Major and
| Superintendent of the Police Department
was yesterday placed in the hands OF the
| Commissioners by Major Richard Sylves-
| ter. Appended thereto are the estimates
| for the maintenance Of the department
| for the coming year. the purport OF whlch
has already been made public. An appro-
priation of $50. .325 is asked for an in
crease Of 5160 over the appropriation
Cor the current year. The items of in
crease as enumerated in the report are:
| Increase in salary of captain and as
! sistant superintendent, 500; increase IN
salary of four captains. al SJvJ eacn, $l'-Di
| one captain, I,soJ; increase IN salary Cl
| two clerks, at $50 each, $3.50; increase IN
| salary of four surgeons, at S6j each, 2iO'
| additional compensation for Two prlNates
| detailed for special service IN the detec-
| zion and prevention of crime, $50, increase
| in salary OF ten lieUtenants, at SlsO each
| 81 800: increase in salary of thirty-iNe ser
Eeants, at $50 each, S2 100, SIX serSeantS,
| at 81 200 each, 81 200; one hundred prlVates
| of Glass >, at Sl,tBc each, SlVN,uy, Two
| desk sergeants, at 81 ,0S0 each, 2,l60; in
| crease in salary of twenty-five desk ser
| geants at $40 each, $3.50; one matron,
/ NGhl. increase IN salary OF SleNtIl ldDbENIS,
| at $50 each, $3.50; two laborers, at StVO each,
| 81 200; for mounting ten additional ser
geants and priVates on bicycles, az s9V
each $500; fuel $500; contingent fund,
| So, go; one motor vehicle $l,2D0; for erec-
ton of stationhouse and stable in South
east Washington, on site of present Flfth
precinct station, and furnishing Of same,
| $50 Or0; for rent of building TO be occupied
temporarily during the construction OF the
new Fifth precinct station, 5000, total in
crease, Sl7I $50; less total decrease, S43,32O;
net increase, sl2i, 400.
A request is also made for an appro-
priation for the purchase of a motor We
hicle for use at Police Headquarters and
the advisa bility of equipping the depart
ment with motor patrol wagons Is urged.
The additional captain is wanted for all
night duty at Police Headquarters, to be
in charge of the detective force, and at
tend to such matters in the office Of the
Superintendent as require immediate at
teHtion. Respecting the assignment of
the force during the past year the re-
port says:
.'On the last day of the fiscal year. June
50, 1901, the disposition Of the police force
OF the District, which numbered 6Oi Of
ficers, privates, and desk sergeants, was
as follows
one Major and Superintendent at
Headquarters; one captain and assistant
superintendent in charge OF the detec-
tive bureau at Headquarters; one cap
tain exercising a general supervision of
the property and equipment of the de-
partment, and two captains. inspecting
the first and second sub-districts Of po-
lice. into which the District of Columbia
is divided
Sine police iieutenants commanded as
many precincts, with g sCrgeaLts as i'm
mediate assistants, and $40 privates per-
forming patrol duty. The remainder Of
the total of 54V prIVates is employed in
this manner: 9S detained TO special assign
meuts. g. 70 posts. 10 on leave. l sus-
pended. and % sick. The 9S members re
ferred 10 as detailed to special assign
ments were located At the following des-
ienations: Bathing beach, ]; Baltimore
and Ohio Depot as detectives, .; Detect
bursting Office, l: Executive Mansion. Is;
Emergency Hospital, 2; guard with pris-
Cners' van, 2; hack inspector, !; House of
Detention, 6; inspector of pawnshops, l;
inspector Of pharmacy, !; license in
spector. ]; patrol steamer, 4; Police Head
quarters, s; policy detective. l; pound ser
vice. ]; Police Court. 6; Sanitary Office 2;
sewer, Third precinct, /; Tax Office. !,
and workhouse. 4. making total Of IS.
The above service should be curtailed
in several respects by Congressional pro-
vision. In lieu of the detail of a police
man for the enforcement of the pharmacy
law. there should be an officer provided
in connection with the Health Depart
ment for such duty. The six members
exercising the duties of baillffs at the
Police Court should be supplanted by
court bailiffs. and guards OF watchmen
should be substituted in place of the
four named in connection with the work
house.
Posts in the main are the suburban
villages or important and particularly ex-
posed locations in the District which
could not be included as regular beats.
and are in many instances covered by
police service but sixteen hours out of
tWcn-y-fOur. owing to the limited force.
This condition should be remCdied. and
has been given attention in the reasons
advanced Tor an Increase Of force The
posts which require detail OF sixty-two
men include.
Arlington Hotel, /; Aqueduct Bridge,
2; baltimore and Ohio depot, 2; Baltimore
and Potomac depot, 2: Brookland, /;
Brigh wood, 3: Berring, /; Corcoran Art
Gallery /; Connecticut Avenue, l; Cleve
land Park, 3; lexington. ?; Fifteenth and
l Streets northwest, l; F between Ninth
and Fifteenth Streets northwest, ]; Fiji
teenth and Streets northeast, /: Long
Bridge, 3; Loop, z, Langdon, 2 Mount
Pleasant, =; Postofce, ,; patrol wagons,
IS: precinct detectives, 3; sub-station, l;
turnkey, /; Thirty-sixth Street and Pros
pect Avenue, /; TenleytOwn. 2; Takoma, 2;
and wharves, 2; or total Of 62.
1t Will be observed that 80 privates
only were walking or patrOliing beats.
They could not all be utilized at one time,
however. The system permits the employ
ment of 81 privates throughout the day,
from o'clock a. m. until o'clock p. m,
and 153 during the night or remainder of
the twenty-four hours, a TidiCuously small
quota for a territorial area Of seventy
square miles, embracing valuable Govern
ment and private improvements, and con-
tanning a population Of nearly 10000 peo-
Pile
The protection of the varied property
interests and the preservation of life and
limb make necessary thorough police
patrol With the vast landed area in
which all these improvements are located
the limited police force heretofore referred
to becomes insignificant, especially when
compared with the number of men utilized |
in other jurisdictions Of equal size.
THE police area OF some of the leading
cities together with the size of the police
force, is as follows:
Area in Police