The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-07-03
TRAFFIC SQUAD
IS ESTABLISHED
Police Will Guard Public at Con-
gested Corners and Railway Depots
Cops Must Wear White Gloves.

Downtown street crossings. boat
landings and railroad stations are %
DE guarded every minute during the
busy hours BY Police Commissioner
Croul's new traffic squad under the
charge or Scrgt Thomas O'Grady
Supt. Downey gave oui officially, FRI
day morning, that the plan Is now
past the experimental stage and will
be made permanent.
All crossings from Jefferson-aVe. to
Grand Rlyer-ave. ON Woodward-ave.
are to be guarded, and the officers in
charge will be distinguished by a
particular insignia on the left sleeve.
Already the squad has been increased
from eight TO Is officers, and. within
a few days. 1t will be increased to 80
men.
The new system will require that At
such crossings as State.st.. the traffic
policemen Will temporarily halt all
east ana west travel and allow the
north and south travel, reversing these
conditions within a minute or two
When the Broadway officers go to
lunch other officers will take their.
places.
There will be no more Broadway
cops swinging their clubs under avn.
ings.' states Supt Downey. They
will be out In the street guarding the
people"
Another important change ordered
by Police Commissioner Croul is ex-
pected TO put an END to the daring
work OF certain class OF clever
hD al
occasions, taken advantage OF the
change OF shifts OF policemen TO kick
In show windows and make a hurried
escape with jewelry or merchandise.
while the beat is left unguarded Tn
der the previous rules. many OF the
police beats were left open for spaces
Of time varying from 10 minutes to 4
half hour, while one set OF patrolmen
was reporting in at the station. and
the other set was about to take up the
work.
Under Commissioner Crouls new or.
ders. no policeman will leave his beat
until the man who is to relieve him
arrives and takes his place.
Some OF the Office rs are kicking
about the change. protesting that IL
means about 20 minutes added to
doubtless favor II.
New saloon regulations went into If
feet Thursday night in the central
precinct, when the hour Of grace"
was taken away from the saoonkeep-
ers. While saloonkeepers have been
ordered to officially close at midnight,
II has been the custom to allow them
until / o'clock before clearing their
nlanaE nf hn ~
order simply called for the shades 20
be drawn, and that no more patrons
be admitted. Thursday night. how.
ever. all downtown saloons were tight.
ly closed at midnight. and the cur
tains and blinds were all raised, so
that the empty bars were exposed.
Under the new commissioner gen.
eral orders, all patrolnen on day duty
are to wear white gloves The men
on night duty need not meet this re-
quirement.
That idea comes from New York
said one patrolman. It's all right In
New York, where the men get from
s1.4O0 up, but it's an added expense
for us on our 81 900 salaries"
Police Commissioner Croul has or.
dered Department Surgeon Gorenfio
10 put all OF the men In the depart
ment through a physical examination.
but he declared. Friday morning. that
the examination was not primarily H.
tended for wedding out OF patrol
mer who do not come up to the strict
requirements
There are a great many soft snaps
I'm the department, and in some caseB.
big strong fellows have the soft snaps.
while some of the men, who are hard
Is capable OF doing real hard work.
have the hardest duties TO perform.
said the commissioner We are GO
ing 10 find out who the strongest men
IN the department are. and We are
also going to learn what men are Mn.
able TO perform hard duties. Men who
have done long and faithful service
and are not as AZ as they once were.
will get some of the snap jobs. and