Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-10-25
THE POST OFFICE ROBBERY.

THE POST OFFICE ROBBERY.
When robbers enter the city, break into such
a modern structure as the new federal build
ing, blow open a large deposit vault, rob the
post office and get away, it is about time for
Perth Amboy to sit up and take notice.
Just how much the police are to blame for
this bold robbery we are not prepared to say.
The excuse will doubtless be made at once that
the force is not large enough to cover the city
and that the beats are so long that a single pa
trolman cannot begin to take care Of the terri
tory allotted to him. While he is at one end,
all kinds Of robberies can take place in the
other without him knowing it. It seems
strange, however, that robbers could come in
to what is practically the heart of the business
section Of the city, blow up a safe deposit
--ssult TssSsssraA [np-to-dat building and not
even a sound be heard by any policeman that
would give a clue that something was wrong.
Perth Amboy has grown to such an extent
that p%atrolmen at night should be close
enough together, especially in the business
section, so that no sound anywhere on their
beats can escape them.
DuI VIC w SoA1y Y soy thoU q IuIl uCFCi-
opments in the police department have led
many to believe that it is not so much that
more policemen are needed as it is more eff
ficient men on the force. We do not deny
that there are many now serving Perth Amboy
In the capacity of police officers who are con-
scientious and faithful to their trust, but there
have been several cases Of policemen being
drunk and being off their beats while on duty,
and people are not ready to accept the excuse
that the sole cause of the robberies, that have
become more or less frequent of late, is the
lack Of men.
The EVENING NEWS has repeatedly stat
ed that the police force is no place for a man
who gets intoxicated, whether he does so when
on duty or not. If there is any place where So
briefly and diligence are absolutely essential
it is on night patrol.
We believe that the robberies that are oc-
curing in Perth Amboy, and particularly the
boldness of the latest one, ~sustains the conten-
ton of this newspaper that any policeman
found drunk or asleep during the night should
be dismissed from the force. 1t is because
there have been several cases of drunkenness
while on duty and the men have escaped with
only fines that such matters have come to be
treated with Indifference. If a friend happens
to come along who is celebrating a birthday
or something of that sort, or even if a drunken
man approaches with a few bottles of beer in
his pockets, the officer on duty is likely to go
off into a vacant lot and indulge freely in the
refreshments. AS long as men who are guilty
of doing such things as these are allowed to
remain on the police force in this city we can
not be too much surprised when we read Of
such outrageous affairs a stock place in this
city Wednesday night.
We are willing to admit that the police
force needs more men, as the city has grown
rapidly since the last addition was made. If
the new men are to be worth anything, how
ever, those who make the appointments should
see to it that they are men in whom the city
can trust. When all the large corporations
are now insisting that men who use intoxicat-
ing liquors shall not be employed in any re-