The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-08-09
Saws Law Would Permit Ad-
dition of Five More Pa
trolmen, an Officer and a
Detective to Force.
CHIEF DOING WORK
OF THREE MEN NOW
Gormon Acts as Chief, Cap
tain and Detective Re-
serve Force for Night Du-
ty Should Be Provided.

Taking exceptions to statements
made at Monday evenings council
meeting that as the police department
had overdrawn the amount appropri-
ated for it in the 1911 budget, one Of
ficer should be let out. Police Super
intendent Gormon, who has returned
from a ten-day vacation at Detroit, de-
clared today that the law allows more
men for a city of this class than there
now are on the local police force.
Mayor Zimmerman broached the mat
ter at the council meeting and said
that a meeting of the police board
would be called within a short time
and a member Of the force would be
taken off.
Supt. Gormon contends that he is
allowed four or five more patrolmen,
captain of police and detective, ac-
cording to the state laws.
What Law Permits.
Cities from 10000 to $4,000 popula-
tion are allowed one patrolman to
each 1000 inhabitants and one Off
Ger, exclusive of the police superin-
tendent, to each 5000 Inhabitants. By
the last United States census Rich
mond is given 22,343 inhabitants,
which would allow twenty-five patrol
men and four officers. At present
there are but seventeen patrolmen.
one patrol driver and two officers.
I'VE need a police captain and de-
tective," said Supt. Gormon," but in
stead Of having a captain and de-
tective, l am doing that work myself
by working until IL o'clock at night
and the city Is saving that much. 9th
er cities the same size as this have
| these officers.
LAS to the department going $500
over its appropriation for the first
six months Of this year, will say
that the board Of metropolitan police
commissioners can not tell just how
much money is needed year in ad
vance"
| Reserve Men Needed.
The local police officers, and many
citizens who understand the situation
say that in a city the size of Rich
mond there should be a reserve force
at headquarters at nights. 1t has been
suggested that two motorcycle officers
he added to the force for night duty
and stationed at headquarters to res
pond to emergency calls.
Under the present arrangement only
the night sergeant and the patrol dri
yer are on duty at headquarters. When
a call comes in from a householder OF
from any place, in fact. it Is necessary
for the sergeant to wait until the pa
trolman on the beat where the cal
comes in from to report before the
call can be responded to. Some times
Ia half hour elapses before the Officer
can be detailed on an emergency case
and then it may take the officer ten OF
fifteen minutes to walk to the place
where the call came in from. In case
OF burglary. murder or any serious
crime this system proves very embar
RAISING to the police affords the per
son sending in the call poor protection
and is very convenient for the often
der.
1t is argued that with two motor
cycle officers-in the larger cities two
men are always assigned to any case
the sergeant could dispatch them i'm
mediately a call was received and af
ford the city much better protection
than a flash-light system