The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-29
FORCE IS TOO SMALL
Policing Of Minneapolis sigg g, In
adequate in Comparison With
,.~q ~, .,-.- Other Cities. ,.....s7.
Mayor Haynes Will Make a Deter
mined Effort to Secure
More Men.

At tn enext meeting of the board of tax
levy, Mayor j. G. Haynes will ask for sufi-:
cient increase in the police appropriation to
enlarge the force, The force is now limited
to 225 MEMBERS, but there is a need for at
least 100 more patrolmen. 1t Is understood
herease Of fty howeVer be satisfied with
"A comparison Of the Minneapolis police
force with the forces of other cities shows
some startling contrasts. 1t shows that the
city has inadequate police protection and en-
phasizes the justice. of the request for an in
crease in the force. 49, -1S~.1.'
|. The presnt limit of 225 members to the
in I've e 19e oesP to exery
berd that half Of the force is on duty at night
and the otter half by day, the ratio is one po-
liceman to 2.2H inhabitants. This makes a
poor showing when compared with other
cities. New York has one policeman to 472
inhabitants; Chicago, one to 571; st. Louis,
one to 1852; Detroit, one to $50; Newark, one
to 6ss; Louisville, one to eo4, and Kansas
City, one to 1877. New York and Chicago are
types Of the big cities where police conditions
are unique but the other cities mentioned
come in the class with Minneapolis and show
how much this city is behind in police equip
ment. ---s -r. ...-.
= Another feature that is frequently lost sight
| of is the fact that Minneapolis is the third
city in area in the United States. Chicago
and ST. Louis each overs more ground than
Minneapolis but the So 2-3 square miles of
| within the corporation of any other city in
the country. The territory to be policed is
an important matter when an increase of the
force is planned. In this city there are four
policemen to every square mile. When the
downtown districts are properly cared for
this means that a large area must be left
unpolced.
| Other cities are much better cared for in
this respect. :: New York has -172 policemn I'd
| the square mile; Chicago, 16; Milwaukee, is;
Newark; 20, and Louisville, &c.
Along with the large area is included the
| fact that Minneapolis has a greater number
| of miles of streets. There are 7S9.45 miles OF
| streets in Minneapolis. With the presnt
| available police force of 1876 patrolmen it is
possible to patrol but GO beats. Then if all
of the. streets in the city were policed it
would make the average beat liz miles long,
and this would give but little police pro-
| lection. y, -0-.-.... d.
| Under the present. system it is necessary to
leave large sections of the city without any
police protection whatever. The Tenth ward
| has but two officers, +one on duty days and
| the. other nights Other outlying districts
| nevr see policeman except when they. come
| down town. "a
| If the police department were to be in
| creased 100 members it would require an, adj
ditional appropriation of 100000 a year
Upon the basis Of the assessments for 1901
this would mean that the rate of taxation
would have to be increased .OOO97S This
would mean that a man who pays taxes on an
assessed valuation of $1,000 would have his
taxes increased 9S cents in order to have the
;. police protection; of the city Increased so per
cent