Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-29

Zduon mere Is TOUR rellefS. three refers
doing duty for eight hours each cover
ing the twenty-four hours. and the fourth
relief is what Is called swing relief, and
helps regular relief to guard the city
from pm. to am: that is since
the whole patrolling force is divided into
four reliefs each-one being one-fourth of
the strength of the patrolling force-tWo-
fourths or one-half the entire patrolling
force is on duty during the night hours
from pm. to am. That is as good
night protection as is found in the police
organization in any other municipal
jurisdiction in the country. 1t seems to
be impracticable for us to have the
platoon system here on account of the
srnallness of our numbers, so have
what are called sections.
Other Demands on Policemen.
Now. then. there is demand. heavy
demand. for labor on the part of these
policemen that amounts almost to patrol
ling duty, due to the fact that this is
the capital of the country. and L do not
need to go into details with you gentle
men; you know what that is better than
1 do Official functions are given con-
stantly during the season when such
functions are usually given. and demand
is made upon the police force for pro-
lection, not only for the protection of the
to see that certain people, and possibly
the criminal element, do not get an OPP
portunity to do any harm. Those are
purely official functions. Then there are
other functions which are social
functions. at which officials of foreign
governments and officials of our gov
eminent must be entertained and must
be protected, as on other occasions. and
such requests for protection are constant
Moreover, this is getting to be known as
ha convention city and conventions ha
got to be looked after, and so there is a
great deal of extra labor for these men
to do incident to this jurisdiction COM
pretending the national seat of govern
ment
Now, then. our force may be criticised
as to its personnel. l am willing-in-
deed, I want-tO go on record as saying
that despite the fact that We have here
and there and now and then an Individual
who does not demean himself toward the
citizen as he should, nevertheless in the
aggregate and for the most part the men
of this force are courteous and polite to
the average individual, and | do not be-
lieve he ever knowingly transgreSSeS.
Il do not need to say to you, gentle
men, that his official life is difficult one
to pursue, and 1t was reserved for
man who wrote comic opera to say his
life was not a happy one, and he told the
truth. Now, the individual policeman in
this jurisdiction has more duties TO per-
form by reason of our multiplicity of
regulations-and which are more eff
GENTLY made effective in this jurisdiction
than anywhere else--than policemen in
any other Jurisdiction. He is expected to
take care-and the superintendent re-
port shows how many cases were taken
care of in each Departmental the health
regulations: he is expected to look after
the building regulations. TO look after
the plumbing regulations. to look after
the gas and electric lighting regulations.
to look after-a whole raft OF other resIla-
lations. and he must restrain the man
who violates these regulations. And the
average citizen, not realizing the situa-
ton. perhaps loses his temper under the
circumstances and registers a complaint
against that individual policeman. And
where? With the chief and very fire.
auently with myself and with the other
commissioners.
Life Not a Very Happy One.
$50 the man who occupies the status of
chief of police has got the accumulation |