Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-30

is al least one of these little iron boxes on
the beat Of every officer while some beats
have more than one, but no additional calls
are required in this case. 80,
These little boxes and the instruments
they contain are silent roundSmen, and
keep a figurative, watchful eye upon the
force that is most effective on sluggish or
Indifferent members. The officers are re-
houses in the manner described, aud If they
miss a call they must explain the reason
why When they ring up the call Is regis
tered at the station house, and the officer
says, for instance, Brown, usually merely
giving his name, and receives the acknowl-
edgment from the station house of o. k
which he repeats back. The record at the
station house, therefore, shows every hour
what officers called up and those who have
not. go. -.----
Advantages Accruing to the Public.
Another advantage over the old system
Is that the calls prevent an officer from
leaving his beat In the. event of an arrest,
and also Of leaving that portion Of the city
without patrolnan during his absence TO
and from the station house. In the case of
an arrest. after calling up the patrol wagon,
he simply hands the offender over to the
officer who always accompanies the wagon.
states the charge to the latter, and re-
sumes his walk
Very often at headquarters 1t is desired
to communicate with citizen who may live
several miles from headquarters, and per-
haps his presence is desired there during
the night, or the department has received
some important information which he Is
very anxious TO hear at the earliest possible
moment as in the event Of the recovery OF
lost child, or of valuable property, etc.
We simply telephone to the proper station
house and direct that the desk sergeant
notify the officer upon whose beat the clti-
zen's house is situated to call the latter up
and communicate to him the Information
wanted. The officer is bound to call up the
station house within the hour, so there Is
not citizen in Washington that the head
quarters could not get into communication
with In an hour or less.
The system effectually puts a stop to
loa1ng on the beat, an offense so common
in some cities, and from going off the beat
without permission, another frequent Of
Tense. While an officer might dodge under
some conditions a sergeant he can't dodge
his ring up without satisfactory explana-
lion, and 1t is well for him not to try the
game too often.
The patrol wagon renders aid to the in
Jured and others not wanted by the police
In innumerable ways. There are ten sta
ton houses in the District, and to each is
attached patrol wagon, with an officer es-
pecially detailed to accompany 1t on its run
a driver and good horses. In responding to
a call the horse is usually driven at a good
rate OF speed, but on the return to the
station house speed is slackened unless an
injured person is carried there is a spe-
cIal reason for haste.
In the event of large fire or other dis
aster the officials at headquarters either of
tne police or OF the other branches Of the
District government may be In direct speak
ing communication with the officer In com
roand on the scene through the patrol box
fact not usually considered.
In brief, the patrol system affords us
such complete and easy communication all
over the city, exercises such salient in
nnence upon the discipline of the force and
IS OF such great public and official bene-
NJ that we wonder sometimes how we for
merry got along at all under the old and
cOmperSome system of other DAYS :,