The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-01
SICK CALL RESUMED
OFFICERS NOW REQUIRED To RE-
PORT TO POLICE SURGEON.
MEN MUST KEEP NEAT.
NEW POLICE CHIEF ISSUES Or
DERS TO HIS MEN.

Members of Force who Are Not
Before Police Surgeon Each Morn
tng-Patrolman viii BE Required
to Observe Rules That Have Not
Been Enforced in Some Time and
That Will Increase Efficiency of
DEPARTING nt-Men on Fire Detail
VIII Not Have 10 Answer Every
Alarm-Win Only Respond When
Called by Street Sergeant and on
Second Alarms-Order a Popular
One With Members of Force.
During last week the police have had
their attention called to certain rules
in the blue book that governs this
branch of the city government and a
higher degree of efficiency is
expected by the superintendent.
No new rules have been made and
the several orders issued to the pa
trolmen are from the regulations for
the police department as fixed by ordi-
nance. The sick call has been re-
sumed and members of the force who
are not well enough to go on duty must
report to Police Surgeon Osborne at
headquarters at o'clock each morn
ing.
Notice had been given the men that
this rule is inf1exible and those who
fail to come up to the requirements
are j liable for punishment for neglect
of duty. Under the old system the
men were required to report at head
quarters each morning that they were
on the sick roll and it was found that
there were not so many men report
ing sick. For some reason the rule
requiring sick officers to report at
headquarters was not enforced and
the daily sick list increased in size.
There has been a decided improvement
since the issuing of the order COM
polling the men to report to Police Sur
geon Osborne and there are now fewer
men on the sick roll than has been
the case in long while.
Answer Second Alarm.
The fire detail, made up of three men
from one of the day reliefs, have here
tofore been compelled to answer all
first alarms. In nine cases out of ten
their services have not been required.
anu they nave UeeIl IUICeu " get OuI
of bed and answer an alarm that had
been sounded for some trifling cause.
On occasions two or three alarms have
been sounded in a single night, and
the men on the fire details have lost
sleep when their services were not real
ly required. A
They have been forced to answer
these alarms in all sorts of weather
anu some of the sickness in the past
has been traced to this exposure that
they were needlessly forced to suffer.
The order of the new police chief makes
1t necessary for the street sergeant to
answer every firm alarm, and in the
event that the services of the fire de-
tail are needed to telephone to head
quarters for the men. The fire detail
will also be required to answer all Sec
ond alarms. This order has already
proven popular with the mem bers of
the force.
Must Keep Neaf.
, The special attention of the members
of the force has been directed to rules
101 and 104 in the blue book The car
rying out of these rules means an i'm
provement in the, appearance of men,
bers of the department, and will give
the force a more military bearing. Rule
101 requires the men to be particular
as to their personal appearance, and
makes 1t necessary for them to be at all
times neatly attired. Rule 104 recites
that officers who have to give evidence
lin a court of justice are particularly
cautioned to give such evidence calmly,
explicitly and In a perfectly distinct
and audible tone, so that the court and
jury may easily hear them. They are
also cautioned that whilst giving their
evidence they should stand in an up
right and respectful manner" The or
der of the superintendent to his men
calls particular attention to the last
clause, and impresses upon them the
necessity of maintaining soldiery ap-
pearance.
Comfort for Horses.
Changes are being made in the
Gamewell house and in the stables,
and in the future the department
horses will receive more attention and
be better cared for. The stock has
been run down to quite an extent and
it 4will probably be found necessary to
make several purchases during the
present year, although no such ex-
penditure was contemplated when the
appropriation was made by Council
The new Police Committee, however,
y rns<HA9~