The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-18
POLICEMEN ARE TO
GET 8-HOUR SHIFT
Change VIII Go Into Effect
About May |
THE ADVANTAGES DERIVED
Will Be Possible to Patrol the City to
Much Better Advantage II Police
men Are on Duty Only
Eight Hours.

II is almost certain that an eight-hour
shift will be adopted for the police force
about the first of the fiscal year, which
is May 1.
At that time all the patrolmen for the
ensuing year are elected While nothing
definite can be ascertaned, the matter
was discussed at the meeting of the
commission last Tuesday night and the
advantages of the change were shown.
At present the policemen are on duty
for twelve hours. changing shifts at
midnight and at noon. The policemen are
forced to leave their beats frequently for
one cause or another. trials in police
court and in the county courts.
Data Compiled.
The policemen have for several years
been trying to get the eight-hour shift,
and they have compiled certain data in
favor of the change. Under the present
conditions there are thirty patrolmen on
the evening shift. from noon to midnight,
and twenty men on the morning shift
from midnight to noon. When police
man has a case in the police court now
ne is compelled to leave his beat and at
tend the trial, and frequently he is de-
tanned in court until o'clock or p. M,
and sometimes later. 1t is estimated that
each policeman is away from his beat
from one to two hours each day attending
court. While they are at court, the beat
is entirely unprotected, as there are no
extra policemen to relieve them.
All the policemen have to leave their
beats to get their meals. Each patrol
man is allowed one hour and fifteen min
utes for meals while on duty, and this
necessarily leaves only half of the pa
trolmen on either shift. For instance
while one-half of the morning shift-ten
men-are at breakfast. there are only ten
men to patrol the entire CITY, and while
the other half goes to breakfast there
are still only ten on the beats. Thus for
two hours and a half, from a. m. to $50
a. M, there are only ten men ON duty.
Similarly at night there are only fifteen
men on duty between $50 o'clock and 3
O'Clock In this way there are five hours
during the twenty-four when only half
the patrolmen are on their beats.
'eT Advantages Claimed.
BY using exactly the same number OF
men it would be possible to patrol the
city. it is pointed out, to much better
advantage with an eight-hour shift. IL
would be easy to have fourteen patrolmen
OF duty from midnight to a. M; twelve
men from a. m. to 4 p. m, and twenty
four men from p. m. to midnight. BY
this arrangement there will be maxi
mum number of patrolmen on the beats
at the hours when they are most need
ed-4 p. m. to midnight. Less patrolmen
are needed between s a. m. and p. m.
than any other hours, and there will be
only twelve on duty.
with an eight hour shift the rules and
regulations of the department would be
much more rigidly enforced. All the pa
trolmen would be required to secure their
meals while off duty. In other words
each would have eight hours of continu-
Gus patrol duty.
Since the matter has been up recently
the patrolmen have made records of the
hours during which beats were without
patrolmen In several instances beats i'll
the business portion of the city have been
without police protection Tor three hours
during the most important hours of the
day, and frequently beats have been with
out protection for two and half hours,
two hours or an hour and a half.
1t is said that in practically all cities
in the world the eight-hour shift has been
adopted and that it has operated to much
better advantage than the twelve-hour
shift.