New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-03-29
WALDO HEEDS APPEAL
To Respond to Staten lSlands
Call for Police.
SUMMONS DETECTIVE HEAD
Commissioner Says He Will Pro
vide More Men as Soon as
He Gets Them.

A hand was taken in the Staten Island
crime wave Yesterday by commissioner
Waldo, who caused to be summoned before
him at Police Headquarters Sergeant John
p. Smith. who il in charge Of the seven
plain clothes men who are on duty on
Staten Island.
After Smith was talked to by Commits
slower Waldo for a quarter of an hour or
SO INSPECTOR Hughes, head Of the defective
Bureau, was closeted with his chief for
several minutes.
1t is understood that In response TO the
hue and cry on Staten Island for enough
detectives, IL only temporarily, TO wipe out
the hand Of burglars that has thrown the
island into nothing short of panic the
meagre detective force now serving the
islands needs Will he augmented.
Magistrate Joseph r. Handy voiced the
opinion expressed by dozen other promi-
nent residents OF Staten Island who were
seen Yesterday when he declared That the
present detective force was far from salts
factory and that better police protection
should be instantly afforded the borough.
The deteCti"e force down here said
Magistrate Handy. rs supposed to consist
OF seven men Itlf az l'hl'E '''''
men here to do detective work. Two of the
seven are in The magistrates courts daily,
being assigned there TO serv" warrants.
The head Of the detectives. Mr. Smith Is
largely occupied with clerical work at the
Office
Now, il is apparent 10 any one that four
detectives are not sufficient 10 have on TINS
island where there are one hundred thoH'
sand people. and with burGlaries being done
by apparently tho same band, which cou!d
be run 10 earth If there were enough de-
teCtives here"
Magistrate Handy declared that the isl
and had suffered A loss in the removal Of
Detective James Graham. who was de
NOTED from first grade detective last week
and sent to the Elizabeth street station to
pound the pavement" I'm Manhattan
William S Van Chef chairman OF the
Chamber of Commerce, said Commissioner
Waldo should send some OF his best detec-
tives TO Staten Island Immediately to clean
ND this burglar band. which in one night
during the last Two weeks robbed nineteen
houses In the village of WesterleSh. There
is only one policeman for all WcstcrleiGh,
a community Of more than one thousand
souls
Staten Island is not getting "A square
deal in the way OF an adequate number OF
policemen" said Edmund Schacfer, one OF
the richest men in Stapleton.
Take this one example, and it will re
apparent to any one. There are three
banks on Bay street here, just up the
street These banks hold perhaps mil
lion dollars in cash and negotiable securi-
ties in their vaults. They are all on one
policemans beat which extends from Bay
street up over the hill TO the Turnpike
Road This means about six miles OF
streets for one man to cover This Is not
fair on either ths policeman or the public.
The policemen that we have. though com
paratively few, are efficient and brave
men"
At Police Headquarters yesterday 1t was
said that as soon as Police Commissioner
Waldo obtained the necessary money from
the Board Of Estimate for 80 more police
men he would give some OF them 10
Staten Island. The speaker pointed out
that there has not been a policeman added
10 the force in five years, although the
city had grown 10000 since then.