The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-29
polio { FORCE
is mad EQUA1E
Number OF Officers Not Stuff
Gent to Report Violations Of
City Ordinances.
MANY LAWS NOT ENFORCED
Large Sections Of City Are Pa
trolled at Night by Only
One Man.
MANY LAWS NOT ENFORCED

VIC NIdll.
one OF the most urgent and pressing
matters to come before the incoming
Council and which will be reintroduced
at the opening meeting. will be the
proposition to increase the number OF
policemen in Richmond Recently the
Police Department has been crltlclzeo
for failure to enforce ordinances OF
the city of Richmond Members of the
Council and city officials have com
piained of lax administration OF ordi-
nances passed, of which practically no
notice was taken, and which soon be-
came dead letters, merely encumberlhg
the books. The defense of the Police
Department is that its force Is made
quate to cover the city.
An officer who patrols Broad street
from Seventh to Fourteenth and the
cross streets for two blocks In each
direction, is to be excused II he does
not see everything that goes on In MS
territory. One officer is now assigned
from 1 o'clock at night until daylight
10 patrol the entire territory from Sew
enth to First, from Broad south to tho
river. II the sneak thieves who abound
In the hours of darkness take advan-
tage OF his movements and enter
house on South Second Street while he
Is guarding Sixth with care. who is To
blame?
Patrol Lnrge Districts.
Covering so large an area, the officer
makes his headquarters at Fourth ana
Main Streets. where his call box TO
telephone to headquarters Is located.
and from there makes brief CIRCUITS
first in one direction and then in an.
other In the outlying territory the
districts are even larger. and were u
not for the use of bicycle and mounted
officers. 1t would be almost Impossible
10 cover 1t at all Those who have.
studied the situation assert that the
fact that there Is not more crime IN
Richmond is remarkable tribute 10
the steadiness and good behavior of
the population at large, rather than TO
the care with which the city is guarded
by its official guardians. efficient as
they may be within the limits allowed
them.
The present force in the city of Rich
mond proper consists of les men OF
all grades in addition to which the city
annexed seven officers of all grades
when 1t took Manchester into its fotG.
and SO far those seven men are tho
only guardians the city south OF the
James has. night and day, the torcs
not yet having been increased
on the present force thirteen men
are stationed at headquarters; One
shelf one clerk to the chief. six detec-
dives and one clerk 10 detectives. one
probation officer. one crier IN the Pu-
ice cour, and two signal service oper-
stors. In the First District. which
embraces the whole city east OF Sew
enth Street, there are ffty-seven mels.
as follows: One captain, three desk
six patrolmen. five mounted men and
eight bicycle officers.
The Second District, embracing all
of the city west of Seventh Street, has
ffty-fve men: One captain, three desk
sergeants, four street scrgeants, thirty
four patrolmen, five mounted men and
eight bicycle men.
The South Richmond station. annexed
from the former city of Manchester.
has one captain, one sergeant and Ave
patrolmen. making grand total on
the pay roll OF the department of l31
men.
With the present force the officials
frankly admit that they have not much
time 10 give to detecting and report
ing minor ordinance violations, the time
OF the men being taken up with guard
ing the city at nights from burglars
and fires. keeping the peace at all
times and in detecting important fell
ony cases and violations OF State laws
or major Importance.
Ordinance Violations.
Although the report of the Chief OF
Police for the year 1909 shows total
Of 500 ordinance violations reported
the great bulk of these were license
matters TIE department reported
wagons and vehicles. the total OF per
sons reported for Keeping wagons o,
animals without a license coming t.
1924, which leaves In the entire yea,
but 1875 reports of violation of cit,
ordinances.
Among otheritems the tabulated 70.
port shows as fellows: Allowing mi.
nors in poolrooms. 5; bathing within
the city limits, 13; cellar caps in dan
gerous condition. 17s; cruelty to ami
mails. 5; buildings and fences reported
in dangerous condition, 1SS; driving
teams over sidewalk. 4; driving heav,
teams over smooth paved streets, g
distributing handbills. III doing plumb
ing without permit, i; erecting build
lngs without permit. 5: expectoratlns
on the sidewalk, 10; failing to sto,
street cars for passengers upon signal
6: firing rifle in street. 8; failure te
replace sidewalk or street In prope,
condition, s.; failure to place light OF
distractions in street. 252: fast drivlni
vehicles, Il; speeding automobiles, 81
feeding horses in street. o; minors car
rying rifles in street, 2; overlooking
teams II; peddling without license, IL
posting signs on trees, s.; riding bicy
cles on streets at night without light
80; running automobiles without lish
or permit, So: soliciting at depots, 4
throwing rocks in streets, 90: tytn,
horses to trees. 10: turning on cit,
gas, 8; violations of weights and meas
ures ordinance, 6; violating electrical
ordinance, 13; violating poolroom ordl
nance, @; wasting city water, S.
Few Cases Reported.
Since the general belief is that few
If any contractors have replaced street