Evening star., 1912-07-21
MOTOR PATROLS BEST,
SYLVESTER BELIEVES
Police Chief Thinks They Would
Effect Saving for
District.

Approximately 5000 could be saved an
nually by the District Of Columbia if the
ten patrol wagons in use at the present
time were replaced by five motor We
hicles. which could do the work now per-
formed by the ten horse drawn wagons
with an automobile for the detective
force, declared Maj Sylvester yesterday.
Results of the change from horse
drawn vehicles to motor vehicles by the
Detroit, Mich. police department, he con-
tended, show considerable saving, which,
he says. could be as well applied here
The advantages Of using motor We
hicles in police departments were brought
to the attention Of the International As
sociation of Chiefs OF Police at the nine
teenth annual convention in Toronto,
Canada, last week. John ]. Downey,
superintendent of police of Detroit, de-
livered an address on the subject.
Mr.. Downey said that from the first in
stallation Of a motor patrol In Detroit, in
January. 1910, valuable service has been
done. The estimated cost to do police
work in Detroit with horse-drawn We
hicles is $19.516. he said. while the cost
OF automobile equipment for one year is
So, 4S1.7 .73-a saving Of S13,O34.2
oilers" in Service.
In connection with the regular motor
patrols for carrying prisoners to the sta
tion houses. "fiers" are stationed at
various points. which cover several
precincts. The various uses in which the
''fliers" are called, more or less in order
of Importance. are riots, burglars, MUIR
ders, officers in trouble, persons caught
under street cars, fires and such events.
A loud-sounding whistle is used on these
"fliers'' to clear the road, permitting
very fast time to be made. so that as
sistance can be rendered at any point in
Detroit within five minutes.
All of the auto patrols are equipped
with outfit of first-aid remedies, fold
Ing ambulance stretcher and lines Tor
rOping off streets at fires and other dan
gerous places. A complete outfit of
axes shovels crowbars, rope, etc, also
is kept in readiness for use in case of
serious accidents, such as building col
lapsing
Saturday nights the auto patrols are
stationed at the nearest box in the vicin-
ity of parks where there are beer gar
dens, ETC., in order to respond In the
least possible time.
Autos used in keeping back crowds in
connection with parades and other similar
events, he declared. are much more ef-
fective than officers mounted on horses
or placed at intervals on foot. The ma
chimes are manned by a driver and an
officer, and the crowd falls back as the
machine passes along.
Used to Catch Burglars.
The use of the automobile in catching
burglars by members of the detective
force was shown by Mr.. Downey, when
sixtXfour burglars were caught in the
act and arrested with the aid of the
machine stationed. at police headquar-
ters.
On another occasion he said a burglar
was trying to enter a residence and the
''fiier'' was called. The police arrived
in few minutes, but the man had been
frightened away. He was followed and
arrested at another house in the neigh
borhoOd. Speed is very important
factor in the problem of dealing with
burglars, ETC." said Mr. DOwney, las the
dierence of minute or two, early
or late. determines whether the guilty
will be captured or escape.
THE fact that fast automobiles are in
reserve at all times to go to any part
OF the city certainly must have deter
rent effect on criminals of all kinds
The motor machines are also used in
Detroit to catch auto speeders. A re-
pair shop with a mechanic and four as
sistants is used in the Michigan city
to look after the vehicles.
With the report Of Mr.. Downey showing
the saving to the city Of Detroit and
the efficiency of the motor machines over
horse-drawn vehicles, Mai. Sylvester con-
tends that much better service could be
had here