Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-19

| nine members of the force were placed be.
! fore the trial board on charges ranging
4 from absence without leave to neglect OF
| duty-one case less than during the pre-
| ceding year.
Additional Privates Needed.
| That which is now lacking to make the
department what it should be is an increase
| in it's numerical strength, the superintend-
! ent says. He recommends the addition of
| fifty privates Considering present condi-
| tons. it is added, the recommendation for
| additional assistance is a modest one. but
| 1t is made consistent with the estimates
of the Commissioners.
| The new precinct, along the river front,
| and Pennsylvania avenue, Connecticut ave-
nue. and F street, in the business section,
! are insuff1ciently parolled the superintend-
ent declares. while lexington, Brightwood.
Wentworth and other outlying localities
| have been in need of additional men and
| protection for the past two or three years.
| He says further:
| 1T is not only difficult, but it partakes
| of the ridiculous to have to recall police
men from one quarter Of the District for
| duty in another, perhaps several times
within few hours, In order to meet unuS-
ual conditions. This should be avoided by
| increasing the number of available patrol
men"
The superintendent expresses the hope
| that In due course of time Congress will
make provision for clerks in the police de-
partment. bailiffs in the courts and watch
| men at the workhouse, thereby advancing
the welfare of the department by permit
ting the assignment of these members to
their legitimate duties.
Amendments Required.
The explanation is made that the act OF
| June 8, 1906, made no provision for main
| tanning the full complement of the force in
| case of death, removal or resignation of
privates from either class or class 3. if a
! member of the next lower grade had not
served long enough to be entitled to ad-
Vancement In consequence of this, there
| can be no new appointments to classes 9 or
TO NIL vacancy thus created until a
| member qualities by serving the required
| time.
1t is therefore recommended that para
graph of the law be amended to meet the
| situation.
| 1t was also observed that no provision
was made in the reorganization law for
| hlllnS the several classes of privates should
an emergency arise which would result in
| their more than ordinary numerical deple-
ton. For that reason it is recommended
| that in case of any unusual depletion of
| the force of privates the Commissioners
| be authorized to promote to class 3 privates
| OF class who have nearest completed five
years service in such class, provided their
! intelligent attention to duty merits same;
| and that in like emergencies privates of
class l may be promoted to be privates
| VI CLASS III the OTQeT OF length OF service
| in class /.
| Included in the estimate for the next fis-
! cal year is an item for the purchasing of a
| site upon which to erect a substation house
| In AnacoStia. For many years the depart
ment has been paying rental for the sta
| ton house there, and has already expended
almost sufficient sum to purchase lot
and erect building thereon.
Target Range and Gymnasium.
| The District of Columbia is the owner
of a lot adjoining the seventh precinct
| police station. The station itself is a mod
ern structure, occupied by large force
of men. An appropriation of $1,000, the
superintendent suggests, would enable the
District to provide a gymnasium. bowling
alley and target range on the land referred
to, which would prove benefit to the men,
berS of the force in many WAYS
An increase Of thirty in the number of
pr1vates of class is recommended, at 5000
per annum each, to enable the department
to keep the force a little above the maxi
mum, and furnish the assistance so much in
demand in all sections. The harbor pre-
cinct has sufficient number of officers,
but so deplorable representation in pri-
Yates, 1T Is explained, as to make it nee
essary to have protection afforded in that
growing and active locality from another
precinct, thereby borrowing from a large
district which lily afford to loan its
help. The new union depot locality, with
miles of railroad territory, the extensive
improvements in the business center, ex-
tension of railroad lines over the bridges,
and many demands in residential quarters,
to the extent that private police institu-
ton has been established here, which in
ours an expense the citizens should not be
required to bear, the superintendent says,
calls for the moderate increase asked. The
| necessity for more mounted men is also
made plain.
Modern cells and corridors in the first
seconu fourth and sixth precinct stations
"a In Tor ont do
cldreS
For the Harbor Patrol.
| AS regards the harbor patrol, it is stated
| that frequent calls are made on the service
to operate III the nighttime, and as the
| pilot of the vessel must be licensed it is
| important that a second sergeant be pro-
! vided for that service For the same rea-
| sons it is urged that another engineer fire
man and deck hand be allowed for those
| hours.
| The superintendent urges that there be
constructed a central police station l. lieu
of the present first precinct affair. The
| fourth precinct station is described as more
an ante-belum prison than a laterday po-
lice station, and should be demolished and
replaced. The third precinct is not only
an insanitary house, but the walls of the
building not of that character which
would make the building secure under ali
conditions. The rear lot, on which is To-
Gated the stable, is above grade and de-
cided menace.
| The cell corridor and cells of the second
precinct station are of the old pattern and
| should be demolished and reguilt with
| steel cells inserted.
| A year ago the harbor precinct was estab-
lished under the command of a lieutenant
who is also harbOr master 1t is explained,
| but no adequate provision has been made
| for police force therein. The structure
| used as a station by the larbor patrol is
| nothing more than an lily arranged wooden
| structure a wharf, and is not only I'M
| healthful. but unsuited for the purpose. 1t
| should give place to a station house with
| cells, to avoid the hauling Of prisoners
| elsewhere, with office rooms and dormitory
| Retirement Fund.
After speaking of the annual inspection OF
| the force in November, 1905, the superin-
| tendent recommends that the retirement
fund law be amended SO as to include ANY
| inspector of police
| 1t is stated that the police department
! is exercising rigid economy in caring for
| the policemen's fund. AS the law stands
| there are members of the force who might
| avail themselves of it's provisions and be
| retired. but that feature of the act which
| permits of widows and children, of mem
| bers of the force who may have been re-
! tired and who died thereafter, becoming
charges on the fund necessarily operates as