The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-17
BODEKER URGES MOTOR CAR PATROL Would Be Saving to City In
 Many Ways TIME IS GREAT FACTOR Present Hose and Wagon Equipment Is Entirely Inadequate for Long
 caIIs-Chief Gives Some
 Examples.
TIME IS GREAT FACTOR

A request for an automobile patrol wagon is to be made by Chief Bodeker at the next meeting of the police com- mission, and he believes that with the facts he will present showing the need of such a machine the commission will recommend its purchase to the Board of Aldermen.
 ''The cost of maintenance of the auto mobile patrol wagon," said the chief last night, twill be something like sSo0 less per year than with the present wagon and horse. At present we have a ramshacked wagon and two horses. The cost Of feed ing, shoeing and the like for the horses will average close on to s25 per month for each of the two.
 Both horses are worked unusually hard, the long hauls being numerous. This makes the item of time probably the most important one. For instance to answer a call to Avondale it takes at least three quarters of an hour and very often much longer The horse Is worn out at the finish of the trip and in case there Is an other call waiting this horse has to De unharnessed and the other horse, which Is resting after O 12-hour day of work, must he hitched to the wagon. With the motor patrol wagon the trip to Avondale aNld other long hauls could be made in about 20 minutes, saving anywhere from 70 min utes to an hour on the call, and at the same time not violate the speed limit IT there is another call waiting the machiue has only to unload at the Jail then start on the other call immediately.
 '.But six persons can be handled in the present wagon, while the motor patrol will accommodate 12. Here will be found another saving, as we are constantly max ing raids from two to four miles rom the station in which a large number or people are placed under arrest and ln- yariably 1t requires two and three trips to get them to the jail. With the auto mobile but one trip would be required.
 "The machine would never be away from the station more than 25 minutes on the longest calls, which is in itself a great argument for its purchase Then its value in rushing squad of officers on a hurry-call would be great.
 ..For instance, there was an illustra- tion tonight of how it might have been used in this manner. A report was re- ceiyed that burglars were in house, the occupants of which had just gone away from the city on a vacation trip. A neighbor noticed light in the house
 fr Ina scene but 1t required some little time for them to get there even on their wheels. With the automobile four or i've men could have been placed in it, rushed to the scene and in all likelihood the burg lars caught in the act. This is a thing which has been done time and time again in cities where they are in use
 At Louisville there was very recent instance of this kind. A similar report to the above was received at the police headquarters there, the house being burg larized being over three miles from head quarters. A squad of men was placed in the machine and in few minutes they had reached the place, quickly captured inside man and the recovery of the stolen then following up with the arrest of the inside man and hte recovery of the stolen goods. Such burglars as this are usually bold in their operations and would never suspect an approaching automobile until the officers sprang out and placed them under arrest.
 ''The price of the automobile patrol wagon is s27O0, while the cost of its main tenance should amount to less than half the keeping of two horses. Counting the speed made together with the number of important arrests which might have other wise escaped except for the qhckness of action made possible by having the ma chine, 1t can be seen that much would be saved.
 "The present outfit is entirely too small to accommodate the business properly and something will have 10 be done short ly. It would be well, therefore, to do the thing right while we are at it, and trust the city fathers will see things in this light"