Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-01-18
BURKE
T PRESENTS HIS
ANNUAL REPORT
Recommends Horse Be Pure
chased for Police Dept.
Use in Outlying Districts.
GREATER PROTECTION
NEEDED, He SAYS
Interesting Figures Are Sub
mitted in Connection With
in, Work in 1909.

The eighteenth annual report of
the police department was presented
to the Board of Aldermen last night
by Chief of Police Patrick ]. Burke.
AS the report was lengthy, it was
not read but was ordered received
and placed on the minutes, after
which it was referred to the police
committee.
In his report the chief says that
the discipline was never better and
that the twenty-eight men on the
force performed their duties during
the past year In faithful and eff
cient manner. number of recon-
mendations are made by Chief Burke
in his document. He suggests that
horse for mounted patrol in the
outlying districts be purchased and
that a motorcycle be secured SO that
speeding automobiles may be con-
trolled. The chief also states that
much larger police force is needed
to give proper protection. Detective
Sergeants Huff and Long are praised
by the chief, who says that they re-
covered $4,048.16 worth of stolen
goods during 1909.
The number of arrests was 939,
while only 884 were made during
the preceding year. The fines in
1909 amounted to 81 1,604.65, while
in 1908, $1,589.40 was collected.
The report, in full, follows:
Perth Amboy, N. j., Jan. l, 1910.
To the Honorable Mayor and Board
of Aldermen:
Gentlemen:-I herewith submit
for your consideration my eighteenth
annual report for the fiscal year
ending December 81, 1909, giving
in detail the work performed, to-
gether with some suggestions which
l feel will add to the efficiency of
the department and improve it's dis
ciphne.
The present strength of the de-
partment is twenty-eight. This en-
braces everyone who performs police
duty, and includes one superinten-
dent, three desk sergeants, two de-
tective sergeants, one roundsman,
one truant officer and twenty patrol
men.
The members of the force have
performed their respective duties. in
faithful and efficient manner dur
ing the year, the discipline of the
fc-ce was never better; there have
been no complaints and but few re-
ports of neglect Of duty or violations
of rules, and ] desire TO express my
gratitude to the officers and men for
the peace and good order preserved
by them during the year. The year
has been most successful, both as to
the prevention of crime and the ap-
preh ension of criminals. Notwith-
standing the rapid increase of popu-
lation and the large area to be COW
cred, the service has been very salts
factory.
The department is not yet. thor
oughly equipped, but progress has
been made along these lines, a new
stable is being built and will be
ready for use In a short time, with
patrol wagon and horse the de-
partment will be better able to re-
spond to calls than heretofore, with
the police call system now in use,
which is one of the best, but to be
complete should have a horse and
wagon. / would also recommend
that horse be purchased for the
department to be used by a mounted
man for the outlying districts, assur-
ing your honorable body there would
be sufficient use for it; also the pur-
chase of motorcycle so we could
control the speeding autos.
Our city with it's rapidly increasing
population and the natural increase
in the material of wealth demands
greater police protection. The past
few years the force has been gradu-
ally strengthened but is not yet as
large as the public service demands.
Our city is along the highway Of
travel between the great cities of
New York and Philadelphia and the
great watering places of the New
Continued on page 81