The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-28
MORE POLICEMEN
ARE NEEDED BADLY
Commissioner He Says He Must
Have 200 More II Streets Are To
Be Patroled Properly.

Police Commissioner Croul is ask
INK for 200 more policemen in his est.
mates, which will be sent TO the con-
troller within few days, but he
doesn't think that the additional men,
should they be granted. will give him
any assistance In bringing about Q
more stringent enforcement OF the
liquor laws.
We are now making all the Dni-
paints necessary against saloons and
IL in not our fault that the offending
saloonkeepers are not punished" said
the commissioner.
However, We are in great need oil
more patroimen. Detroit has grown
rapidly. as everybody knows, during
the past few years, and yet IL Is d
fact that We have no more men patrol
ling our streets today. when We have
~ square miles of city territory, than
when we had only q square miles. IL
Is true that We have been given more
men. 10 and Is at different times, but
they are being used for special work.
For instance, We are now keeping
minute-men, men who answer emery
ency calls with. motorcycles, In the
different stations: the board OF health
Is using FIVE men now, where it used
10 have but two, few years ago, and
special men are on duty In many
other ways and places. The growth
Of the city simply demands that we
give up these men for special ser
vices. Then there are always men
on furlough. the law giving each
man 20 DAYS year.
III there is anything which hurts
me IL is to have a citizen call on me
and say, 1 haven't seen a patrolmsn
pass my door In such-and-such a
period OF time. Now | know that thar
may be true. for the simple reason
that We haven't men enough TO patrol
all the streets. Yet the protection OF
the city Is better now than IL has ever
been before; the flying squadron Is
doing excellent service, and the mir
ute-men are proving most serviceable.
For instance, a timid woman, whose
brother was away on travelling trip.
telephoned for a policeman. the other
night, when she heard burglar try
ing TO break into her home. The
minute-man from the nearest station
was at her home within l-2 minutes
from the time the call was received.
tie didn't catch the burglar, for the
reason that he ran away before the
oficer arrived
In addition 10 having the flying
squadron and the minute-men, we
are asking for three more automu-
biles, smaller than the one used by
the flying squadron. We want -
place these smaller autos I'm stations
in the outskirts OF the city. They are
needed there because too much time
is lost when the downtown fyine
squadron has to make long trips.
BY the way, the flying squadron
has taken the place of the old hors Q
police wagons TO a large extent. The
wagons are now used as police avn.
balances. The men on them are
schooled to give first aid to the In
iured. The wagons also carry jacks
for the purpose OF raising street cars
to remove pinioned victims, not dc
pending on the ID. u. r. TO make the
rescue Only the other day the 20
lice jacks were used to release maj
from under q street car. | believe
that a metropolitan police department
Is meant to do more than simply look
after crime, and | want to make tbs
Detroit department as useful TO the
citizens as 1t is possible to do SO.
want one OF the proposed new autos
for use as a sort OF ambulance on the
boulevards. We worked with a loan
ed one last summer and We cared foi
many accident and sick cases.
"On the whole, the men OF the de
partment made a splendid showing
last year. and ! am proud OF their
work. The men, In fact, showed more
energy than ever before"