New-York tribune., 1907-01-26
FIVE PLATOONS NOW.
Bingham announces Ne1c Plan to
lSolUe Police Problem.

General Bingham announced yesterday five
platoon patrol system for the police. to begin at
. a. m tomorrow. 1t is compromise between
the three platoon system, which he recently dis
carded as a failure and the old two platoon sys-
tenn. under which the police force of the city
worked we'll for half century.
AS readers of The Tribune have been told. the
two platoon system keeps practically the entire
patrol force on duty either In patrol on posts or
in reserve at the police stations from 6 p. m to
a. m. while in the day hours one-ouarter OF
the patrolmen are patrolling and one-eighth are
In reserve Six hour tours OF duty are main
tained.
Under the three platoon system only one-third
of the force could be duty at one time. a
patrolman working eight hours and then hav-
ing sixteen hours off duty in the twenty-four'
The tours of duty were eight hours at stretch'
and the night posts were about four times as
long as under the two platoon system. The ar
rangement encouraged Sinking and general
neglect OF patrol duty.
General Bingham's five platoon system, as he
has explained in a statement accompanying the
order Is intended to give patrolInen more time
off duty without materially lessening the night
patrol force Two platoons are kept on patrol
in six hour tours and one platoon in reserve in
the night hours, from p. m. to a. m. the re-
Ieving time being a. m. instead of midnight
The hVe platoon system is maze 10 TOldte O4lCS
in five days and in that time each platoon has
one whole day off duty. the platoOns alternating
in hours OF duty and off duty. Each platoon
also has two periods of twelve hours off duty in
the five days but there are two days of the five
in which each platoon will have only two hours
of freedom in the twenty-foUr. The extra time
off for the patrolmen. since the day duty re-
mains practically the same as in the two platoon
system is obtained by cutting down the reserve
force at night.
General Binghams statement includes the fol-
lowing:
1t is deemed to be beyond controversy that In
New York it is necessary that there shouio o. az
ways be reserve of police in every station
house sufficient to be of value when called upon;
also, that during the night hours, 3 p nj. 20
a. m, the patrolling force should be double What
il is during the daytime.
on the other hand. it seems beyond contro-
versy that policeman who is called upon 70
patrol only six hours continuously should do
better work than If he had to patrol eight
hours continuously. Also. il possible his time
on duty should be continuous and his time of
duty continuous. much possible. One OF
the main difficulties Of all systems of patrol
which have been studied Is that there was a
great deal of broken tinne-that is. only short
periods of rest between periods OF work.
The five platoon system now adopted runs It's
cycle in five days No tour ~ patrol is longer
than six hours. followed by reserve. which
must be counted resting time during which
time the men can sleep IL they wish TO- unless
called upon for emergency duty. The Ave
platoon system gives patrolmen a full twenty
four hours off every i've days In addition.
there is no off time which is less than twelve
hours.
Chairman Marks OF the Civic Federation's :
committee on the police said last evening:
The new plan gives the policemen an oppor-
tunity 20 go 10 their homes for rest four DAYS
out Of every five. n period Of at least twelve
hours each time. which is a distinct gain for
them over the present system. which enables
them to go home for rest only every other day.
The committee is delighted with the change of
hours now made by Commissioner Bingham not
because II considers the new arra ngement ideal.
but because II believes 1t 10 be a step in the
right direction. gradual Improvement is al
ways safer and more likely TO be lasting IN it's
good results than sudden drastic change. We
| hope 70 see great Improvement in police ser
vice result OF this movement
The new patrol system will not affect the
| hours Of duty Of the traffic squads and other
| special squads Of the force