The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-01
The Observation-Disclosures on the Street.

There is a personal interest for all
pedestrians in New York in such articles
as that in THE SUN of yesterday concern
ing the prevalence of beggars and pam
handlers in both the downtown and
uptown business sections Of this city.
A great many OF these Migrants are
about town now, molesting men and
women. 1t is a mistake, however, to
imply that the town was free of them
prior to the abolition of the mendioancy
squad Of the police force. Even in the
best sections of the city begging was
rife while Agent FORBES of the Charity
Organization Society and his six specially
detailed policemen were supposed to be
on duty.
At intervals of a few days articles
have appeared in the city newspapers
conveying the impression that only since
the abolition of the mendicanoy squad
has this condition existed, and that only
by the reestablishment of such a squad
under Agent FORBES can the trouble
some condition be swept away.
AS O matter Of fact, Mr.. FORBES had,
when his squad was in operation, a force
Of six men, and not all Of them with the
best of police records. To-day he has,
roughly, a force of six thousand men.
In other words he has the entire Police
Department of the city at his disposal.
If he is animated by a sincere desire to
be busy and useful, all that is necessary
is for him to go about the city, either
afoot or in such conveyance as may
seem agreeable and practicable, and OBJ
serve such Migrants and panhandlers as
are annoying the people and then notify
the nearest policeman or the captain of
the precinct or the inspector in charge
of the district. Arrests would be prompt,
for complaints against members Of the
force are not light incidents of a police
mans life these days.
When Commissioner BINGHAM abol-
ished the mendicancy squad, in pursu-
ance of his expressed purpose to restore
the force to a condition of discipline and
responsibility, he expressly stated that
the duties of that squad devolved upon
the entire department and that COM
handing officers would be held respon-
sible for conditions in their precincts.
Section S15 of the Charter of New York
city says; at is hereby made the duty
of the Police Department and force, at
all times Of day and night, and the men,
bers of such force are hereby thereunto
empowered, to arrest all street mendi-
cants and beggars.'
A rule Of the Police Department says:
"The following laws, regulations and
instructions relative to arrests must be
strictly adhered to in every particular
by each and every member of the force.
And among, the regulations appears the
provision Of the Charter requiring the
arrest of "all street mendicants and
beggars,"
The articles published in the news
papers have specified saloons along the
Bowery and Park row where the pan
handlers now congregate. A rule of the
Police Department says: Captains shall
make, sign and transmit monthly re-
ports giving location of all concert sa-
looms, dives and other places where dis
solute, degraded or lawless people con-
gregate,. and whether the laws and ordi-
nances, and especially the provisions Of
Section 315 Of the Greater New York
Charter, have been carefully and thor
oughly enforced"
Another rule Of the department re-
auires that inspectors shall see that
within their districts the laws Of tho
State and the ordinances Of the corpora
ton of which the Police Department has
cognizance and the rules and regula-
tions OF the Police Department are en-
The Charity Organization Society,
however praiseworthy its achievements,
is a private institution. The number Of
private Institutions which have had
members Of the police force specially
detailed to their service has been one of
the causes Of the Gripping of the depart
.nant "a General BINGHAM has found