Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-05-22
Property and Honh In the Care of the
Policeman
EzCELLENCEOF FdRcBIN WASHINGTON
Growth of the Service Since Pres.
emit System Was Established.
RULE FOR APPOINTMENTS

VI all the public servants, both national
ana local, the one nearest the public is the
policeman. He is the man who protects the
property of the merchant and the homo of
the citizen. He is seen every day, passing
through the streets in a lesurely manner
appearing to take his own time for every
thing, but with an eye always open to in
fractions of that safeguard Of humanity.
the law. Yet with all his conspicuousness
1t Is probable that he Is the least known
OF any person who walks the streets. Even
the messenger boy attracts more attention
than the policeman. The public knows he
Is there, or will be there. some time during
the day, but what he does, where he comes
from and how he passes the hours no one
seems to know or care. He is not regarded
as the ignorant parsonage he was years
ago. and the jokes which have appeared
In the comic papers about his idiosyn-
cracies are all dead letters. IT, indeed, half
of them ever were true. The Introduction
or the patrol system has made sleeping
While on duty impossible, and the admir-
able inspection service. in this city at
least, has done away with the lettering
and careless manner in which duties were
PERFORMED Today the member of the met
ropol1tan police force is an intelligent man.
with a certain duty to perform, which he
performs In the best possible manner and
thereby surely earns the scanty salary
given MIN by act of Congress-.
In the District of Columbia the history
OF the metropolitan police force is almost
the history of the District itself Before
the establishment of the present form of
government the city was guarded by
battalion of men, known as the auxiliary
guard. for short time, and at other
periods by similar bodies whose discipline
was at low ebb. Washington was only
government from the other towns in the
District. Georgetown and Anacostia had
their own police systems. both being. in
many respects, superior to that Of the
larger city 1t soon became evident that
the national capital, village though it was.
needed an adequate police protection. and
one Of the first things President Lincoln
did was to see to the organization Of the
present constabulary. 1t called the
metropolitan police force, and as such has
been known ever since.
But Few Changes in System.
Few changes have been made in the sys-
tenn since the time OF it's organization in
1851. although it has been greatly modern
tied. the methods which applied at It's Or
ganization being long out of date, still in
the main principle it remains the same.
When it was first established the system
consisted of ten precincts, presided over by
sergeants. This number was reduced some
years later to nine and lieutenantS were
placed in charge. Under the last Congress
the establishment Of an additional precinct
was authorized, and Major Sylvester ex-
poets to have the new station house built
and the precinct under adequate protection
in few months.
When the force was organized 1T con-
sisted of 80 men. Since then gradual in
creases have been made, until now there
are 600 men. During that time the city
has increased In population and wealth to
an unusual degree, but the police force
has only gained in strength as the mem
bers of Congress thought it best to increase
In yua love 1,o,t
covering several square miles Of territory,
but there were then few houses and places
of business to protect. All the wealth of
the town was conferred in one. section and
the lawless element in another. Now all
these things have changed The people
have scattered out, and SO has the bust
ness. There Is much wealth to protect
In one section as another, but not enough
men to protect 1t.
Last Monday morning, in the business
section Of the city, in precinct which in
cludes every department store, almost every
bank, and all but two of the government
departments, together With about ten
thousand women and Children. there were
eight policemen on duty; in the afternoon
there were nine. During the night from
o'clock in the evening to o'clock in the
morning. this district is patrolled by nine
teen men and a sergeant never any more,
and sometimes several less. The total
strength Of this precinct Is sixty men. in
Guiding patrolmen. sergeants. lieutenant.
patrol drivers and station keepers. OF this
number only thrty-nine are on active street
duty
Such Is the present condition Of things.
and 1t Is no wonder that there are more
petty thefts in this city than in any other
Of it's size in the United States The re-
markable thing about it is that there is
such good order and so few burglaries and
crimes Of a graVer nature.
Good Work of the Force.
The lawless element among the popula-
ton Is not so large. owing to the magnif-
cent work Of the small police force Wash
ington is known all over the country as a
dangerous place for professional thieves,
although there Is only one policeman to
each 1000 Of the population. The condi-
ton Of the force cannot be better shown
than by a statement of its distribution at
a certain time. The maximum assignment
to duty on the 10Th day Of June, 1893. was
ITS. This was during the war with Spain,
when the city was crowded with Soldiers
and when there were lawless characters
here of every description. These men were
supposed to cover seventy square miles Of
territory and afford adequate protection to
$500 citizens. That they covered their
beats thoroughly and Systematically and
gave the protection expected of them, the
records Of the department and Of the
courts will show.
pine and a vast amount Of hard work on
the part Of the individual policeman. The
careful and pa1nstaking endeavors Of Mai.
Richard Sylvester would amount TO moth
Ing far-reaching as they are, were it not
for the individual policeman. In the first
place. 1t Is necessary for a man to be
strong and healthy. physically, before he
can expect to obtain a position on the DO
lice force. When the would-be recruit has
made up his mind to apply for such a posi-
ton. he obtains blank application form
from the chief clerk Of the department.
which he fills out and must have signed by
three reputable citizens who know him.
When the application has been filled up II
Is returned to the chief clerk, who MIN
beers it and places it on file for future refer
ence There is no lack of applicants at
police headquarters. Scarcely day passes
during which a number OF blanks are rot
given out, and when returned they are ali
carefully filed in the order in which thew
are received. When the time comes for the
appointment of a man the records of the
first five or six applicants on the list in
the chief clerks office are examined. Strict
inquiry Is made as to their habits and de-
pertinent. If this is satisfactory The ,ppli-
cant is notified to appear before the board
for examination.
This examination Is very rigid and re-
Quires man of intelligence and some edn-
cation to pass it. The applicant is required
to answer correctly a number of problems