The Washington herald., 1908-03-04
ASKS MORE POLICE
Maj. Sylvester Explains Con-
dltiOns to Citizens.
DEFENDS THE LOCAL POLICE
Points Out that District Of Columbia
Is Third Largest Police JurIsdic-
tion in the United States-OnIy 647
Privates at the MOst-sDeciaI De-
tails Leave Only 332 Men.

I wonder that the citizens OF Wash
ington have not met with disaster. So far
We have gotten along excellentIy With
the number Of policemen We have al our
disposal The small force that guards
Us at present has been doing painstaking
duty
Mai. Richard Sylvester superintendent
Heights Citizens Association last night,
and spoke in defense Of the plan 10 in
crease the Washington police force by I0O
additional men
He showed that the existing police
force is handicapped only by its size.
Policemen have 10 be transferred from
one place 10 another he said. at the
risk OF weakening the places from which
they are taken. Men may be detailed and
transferred. but we need extra men 70
meet the requirements presented TO Us. II
has been a fault OF those who argue
against making any increase in the local
police force that We have not a munipal-
ity here, Ike elsewhere. We have a ter
ritOry 10 contend with here in Washing
ton, not municipality. Other cities have
municipalities. The territory OF the Dis
trict Of Columbia embraces hOre than
sixty-nine square miles. and includes
S29,00o people. Il has been only in ne
past few years that We have realized that
there is something more than Washington
and the Capitol here. There are thou
sands Of more lives. thousands Of more
interests and thousands OF more miles OF
streets and rOading than are embraced n
Washington proper and Georgetown
Many Overlook Outskirts.
developed by railway Improvements
doubt whether the people realize what
conditions exist
There are more than eighty towns ard
villages in addition TO Georgetown which
must be protected There are just 6432
people who live in the suburbs OF Wash
ingtOn- The District OF Columbia in
cludes 1900 acres II is the third largest
police jurisdiction in the United States.
1t Is like playing a game OF chess
without the men TO play. Hardly a day
goes by that extra details OF men are not
needed. and 10 fulfill these requirements.
some OF the precincts must be weakened
There are TI9 officers and pTsvates in the
police department This includes the
superintendent. one assistant in charge
OF detectives; three inspectors. ten cap
tains. in charge Of precincts; twelve lieu
tenants. and 6f7 privates-
Only car Privates.
These 647 men are the ones that do the
real work They are out On the streets
and come in contact with the elements
OF these. eighty-three men must be de-
duty; while ninty-twO men 90 patrol
duty In June, 1877, as an instance. there
were thirteen men sick, absent on leave,
out OF the 647 Extra duties call many
more Some places require guards by
law Three hundred and ninety-two men
are left.
Il would use the policemen in platoons
If I could, but am compelled 10 use
them in sections These 392 men are d.
vided into four sections. Each section is
used at a different time OF day. In spite
Of this shortage OF policemen, no extr2Or-
dinary crimes have occurred in the past
i've years Crime has kept pace with
population, as IL has elsewhere. but IL
never has gotten away from the force.
We make more arrests 70 the man Than
in any other city except Atlanta. Ga.
There have been no more cases OF
pOcketbOOk snatching than there were in
the years before this We are inouiring
into the safety Of our women Compared
to New York, Chicago. or Pittsburg.
Washington is a graveyard. Last year
Sl12000 H,vEsh Of property was lost by
robbery in Washington. and OF this SI02 900
was recovered
An adequate number Of policemen viii
stay and prevent crime. New York. Chi
cagO. Philadelphia. and Boston make
more arrests than any other cities. Wash
ingtOn has between 2o.O00 and 5000 ar
rests each year Most Of these are mis-
demeanors- Less than 1000 arrests are
criminal cases"
G. :. Bundy PreHides.
c. S. Bundy presided at the meeting
Two new members were admitted. They
are Max Rich and r. L. Waters. Pro-
visions are being made to have a part
of the Marine Band play in Columbia
Heights in the summer time, and a report
viii be made next week by the com
mittee in charge.
President Bundy and the association
thanked MAJ. Sylvester for his talk, and
the meeting adjourned.
White Sox Reach e. Paso.
FL PasO. Texas. March 3-The Chi