The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-21
Three Months Of Police Work.

Three Months Of Police Work.
The report Of the Police Department
for the three months ending with Sep
tember was printed in the City Record
yesterday. Usually the publication OF
department reports is so delayed that
they have neither timeliness nor interest
when they reach the taxpayers. Com
missioner BINGHAM's quarterly account
is dated October 9, and its prompt APP
pearance makes it a document Of real
value to the city.
At the end OF tho quarter the police
force consisted of s,795 employees,
including sixty-four matrons. The
effective force was S,248, there being 373
absent On leave, 173 sick and three under
suspension. The losses in the several
grades in the quarter were:
Retlred-i captain. 0 sergesnts. 1 detective ser
gesnt, . roundsmen. 81 patTolmen and I assistant
superintendent OF telegraph. Total. u.
Died. sergeant. 1 detective sergeant, II pa
trolmen and / doormAn. Total. L.
Resigned-Is pstrolmen. Total. 10.
Dismlssed-i roundsman and is patrolmen.
Total. 10.
No appropriation is asked for a sue
! cessor 10 the Assistant Superintendent
Of Telegraph, Commissioner BINGHAM
believing no necessity exists for filling
the place. Mr.. BINGHAM is apparently
a poor politician, or he would under
stand that there is necessity for every
man who can be got on the payroll.
Commissioner BINGHAM continued in
the quarter his efforts to improve the
police system generally. The method
OF caring for lost children was changed,
those found after Q o'clock in the eve
ming being turned over to the proper au-
thorities, and not taken to the Mulberry
street headquarters. This does away
with the care and feeding of the children
Mt headquarters. Police passes are no
longer recognized at fire lines, only
such persons as have Fire Department
badges being admitted to the scene of
the fire. The design of special police
mems badges has been changed to pre-
vent confusion with the patrolmen's
badges. Two paragraphs in the report
announce the introduction OF Systems
of accountability" under which the rec
ords will show the amount and kind of
property on hand, and in whose hands it
is, and how often a horse has been shod
or attended by a veterinary. The neces-
sity for this is explained thus:
Under the previous system It was impossible
to determine the amount Of outst andlnE Indebted
naaa Valance hagn1 Iarcd .nt0roiu yo,n - -
inary's and horseshoer's bills, which were sub
mitted often many months after the services were
performed"
These accountability systems" should
make a considerable difference in the
expenses of the department. The lack
Of business methods they succeed shows
that the department has been conducted,
to put it mildly, c~arelessly.
In the three months $50 charges of
misconduct were brought against men,
bers OF the force. The results Of the
trials on these charges were:
Charges causing cismisSsls. zee. 6
Charges causing hnes. go
Charges causing reprimsnds. "a
Charges causing suspensions without pay....... /.
Complaints OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 8
Policemen dropped from rolls. 20
Decisions ending 90
Policemen awaiting trial. IS
For felonies 5,176 arrests were made in
the five boroughs in the quarter, and the
total number of arrests for all offences
was 1925. OF the persons arrested for
felonies s33 were women, and of the
whole number Of persons arrested s,76o
were women. AS usual, the elastic
charge "disorderly conduct" was brought
against the largest number of accused,
or 1927. Violation Of corporation or
dinances brought 7,101 men and women
to the station house blotters, and intox-
ication was charged against 1914 indi-
viduals, Of whom 1890 were women n.
The report does not show the outcome
OF 2,5S5 arrests OF the charge "suspicioI5
person. The court records Of these
cases would be interesting.
The fourth quarter of the year began
with all the policemen who had been
detailed to summer resorts back in their
home stations and with the force avail
nDAc AOI PobLOA uuCy 5JIcHBlleneu Dy u
number Of men withdrawn from traffic
regulation, a new arrangement enabling
two men to do what hitherto has been
intrusted to four. The report indicates
that Commissioner BINGHAM is not play
ing with his work, but is attempting a
serious and sensible reform of police
methods. A great deal Of work and a
very little talk seems to be the rule
now at 800 Mulberry street.