The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-16
SPECIAL POLICE
FOR CITY PARKS
SWORN IN BY MAYOR MYERS.
PARKS, SQUARES AND CEMETER-
les ARE TO BE PROTECTED
FROM FLOWER THIEVES.

Under an Ordinance Passed at Last
Session of Council, Mayor Myers
Yesterday Swore in Several Spec
iaP Officers Who VIII Watch the
Parks, Squares and Cemeteries.
Keeper of Laurel Grove and Sec
rotary to the Park and Tree COM
mission Are Now Special Officers.
To break up the stealing of flow
ers. Mayor Myers yesterday morning
swore in a number of the employees
of the Park and Tree Commission as
special officers.
The new officers were sworn in I'M
der an ordinance passed at the last
session of Council, which was the re-
suit of numerous complaints that flow
ers were being stolen from cemeteries,
parks and squares. The city officials
are determined to break up the steal
ing, no matter what the cost.
The beauty of the parks and squares
of the city was being impaired by
reason of these petty thefts. The po-
lice department had been frequently
appealed to, and number of arrests
had been made. But the police were
unable to watch all of the parks and
squares as closely as was desired.
Special Ordinance Passed.
1t was therefore determined to Gre
ate a number of special officers for
this purpose. To this end an ordi-
nance was introduced at the last ses-
sion of Council empowering the Mayor
to appoint the keeper of Laurel Grove
Cemetery and such employees of the
Park and Tree Commission as he saw
fit, special officers, that the parks and
squares might be protected.
The ordinance was drawn and pass
ed because of the trouble that the
keeper of Laurel Grove Cemetery had
experienced with persons taking flow
ers. He had been annoyed by ladies
more than by any others, and was at
loss as to what course he should
pursue. He has mad a great deal of
tr5uble within the last few weeks
with cases of this kind.
Women Annoyed Keeper.
In several instances, he has stopped
women coming out of Laurel Grove
Cemetery with flowers, and asked them
by what authority they were taking
them. The women invariably replied
that the flowers had been picked on
their own lots.
AS matter of fact, 1t is against the
city ordinances for one to pull flowers
from his own lot, but Mr.. Clements
did not wish to be hard on any of the
ladies, and refrained from making
| cases.
Recently, however, the cases have
become so numerous and aggravated,
that he filed a complaint, which led to
| the passage of the special ordinance.
Officers in Plain Clothes.
Both Mr.. Clements, the keeper of
Laurel Grove, and Mr.. Robertson, the
secretary to the Park and Tree Conn
| mission, have been constituted special
| officers by the Mayor under the new
ordinance. In addition to these, sew
eral of the employees of the Park and
Tree Commission were sworn in by
Mayor Myers.
The person who plucks a flower in
any of the parks or squares, does so
now at his peril, for it is impossible
to tell who is an officer and who is
not, until the badge is shown.
The parks and squares of Savannah
are its pride, the one feature which
distinguishes it, and makes 1t more at
| tractive than any other city in this
section, and the city officials are de-
| termined to protect them from petty
| thieves.