The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-02
POLICE FORCE TOO
SMALL FOR ZION
Number of Patr0lmen is made
quate for the Size of
zg the City. 49,.
RESIDENCE DISTRICTS
WITHOUT PROTECTION
No Effort is Made to Increase
the Force as City Grows
in Population.

That the recent strike demonstrated
beyond doubt that Salt Lakes police
force is too small, is the opinion of
most people familiar with the facts,
While the opponents Of the American
party and the conspirators against Chief
Sheets have been slandering the
police department and representing that
il permitted mob to take possession of
the city during the strike, the fact re-
mains that the force was too small TO
fully cover the city; the chief has at
his disposal thirtyfour patrolmen TO
police the entire city for twenty.four
hours in the day. This is less than one
patrolman for every 1000 of population
IN the city and means that these pa
1rolmcn must police an area which con
talns 46.414 square miles,
In eastern cities, and in fact in prac.
Ilcally all the large cities of the United
States, it is customary TO have one pa
trolman for every 1000 of population.
This is the rule followed in New York,
chicago and elsewhere, and Salt Lake,
IN this particular, is far behind the
times.
Chief Sheets Talks.
Discussing the size of the police force
Tuesday. Chief OF Police Sheets said.
People of this town don t realize
how inadequate their police protection
is, and they overlook the fact that no
effort has been made 10 have the force
increased commensurately in size with
the increase in population The city
grows. but the force doesn't
Between the hours of clock IN
the morning and clock in the after
noon we have six patrolmen or duty;
between o clock in the afternoon and
J! clock ~ night we have only eleven
men at work, and from II clock at
3nght unIit Q clock III the morning we
have twelve patrolmcn on duty. In ad-
druon to this We have three men who
40 depot duty AT certain hours, and
TWO mour.cd policemen.
Residence District Not Policed.
Under existing conditions, - said
the cher, lit IS practically impossible
TO police the residence districts There
is practically no police protection for
the district west OF West 'Temple street
or east OF State street When an cmcr.
gency like this strike occurs we are
practically helpless.
Take for e&ie Sunday night,
Inc Ufah Light & Railway company
asked me fer eight men 10 guard their
property durlug the night. furnished
them, but / told them at tue time that
was depciying mysclf OF force
which | would need in the morning TO
keep order. on tho streets. The com
tne position We were IN. insisted on hav-
1Ig the men. so | furnished them
he force ought to bc increas scd at
Jea5t twenty men. suppose though
that ten additional men would be all
VIC could possibly hope to get. but we
once. -
There has been no increase Of the no
lice force uuder the American city adj
m1nstration. although the city has
grown more rapidly during that period
thah at any other time in IFS history.
Mormons Commend Sheets
SIX Mormon Ci,v Councilmen. in
rrIntalloD ot the partisan howl against
Chlef Sheets, gave TO an evening paper
Nonday, interviews commends toTy Of
INC Work OF the police department dur
!ng the strike, These interviews arc
herewith reprinted.
Acted splendidly.
F. S. FERNSTROM-I think the DO
hce department acted splend:tIl
throughout the entire controversy Al
times II might have made greater
show of force. hut on the other hand
the use Of clubs or guns uuqucstiouablv
wou!d have increased the feeling OF
hostility between the company and the
strikers. Under the circumstances do
not see how it could have done bet
ter work
r, S, WELLS-I haven 4 word of
complaint Of the manner in which the
police department handled the sjtua
non ! was out of the city, returning
last night. | attended the Council
meeting. however, and later called on
the Chlef with other members. Among
the members of the Council the sent,
ment was unanimous that the stua tion
was as wisely and effectively managed
as was possible under the circumstances
IN 70 I
opinion also. The use Of arms would
have precipitated certain trouble and
the action of the department in rcfrain.
ing from this was wise
j. II. PREECE-The police depart
ment is 10 be commended on its atti.
tude throughout the strike. so far as
] am able to learn. 7 was NOT down
town in the two davs the strike was
In progress, but number of business
men who observed affairs on the main
streets have told me that the depart
ment and the city should be conerat-
uiated have heard no complaints
whatever.
Used Good Judgment
JOHN HOLLY-I think the noI;ce
used splendid judgment in their effort
10 eubdue trouble on the streets Under
the conditions, as they existed | do
not sec how their work could have heen
improved. 1t would have been folly 10
nave rcsoICeu 10 IHS uSp OF force, when
the size OF the street crowds is con.
sidered. They might attempt TO aucIl
disturbance III one locality while an
other and greater outbreak was oc-
curing IN another. not far away. but
beyond the ability of limited force
to handle. Had they used arms con
ditions would have been made worse
The police did all that was possible TO
do as guardians Of the peace.
A, F. BARNES was not down
town at any time during the strike and
cannot speak Of the work Of the police
from. personal observation. From all
it was quite satisfactory. 1t must be
borne In mind that three or four police.
men cannot handle crowd of several
hundred men. A resort to arms would
have been fatal. ] was at the police
station last night with the other mem
bera of the City Council. We were told
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