Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-29
CITES POLICE NEEDS
Maj. Sylvester Reviews Condi-
tons Here, in Report.
SHOWS FORCE TOO SMALL
Beats of Some Patrolmen Equal to
Fair Sized City.
HE ASKS FOR $1,096, $50
Would Have Government Buy
Horses-Urges Inebriate
Hospital.

Among the recommendations in the an
nual report Of Maj. Richard Sylvester
superintendent Of police, made public to-
day. are the following:
Purchase by the District government
of horses for the mounted police force
thus relieving the necessity of members
of this force providing their own mounts
An additional appropriation for the de
tective bureau.
Requirement of license fee for guides
who solicit employment from visitors t.
the city.
Legislation comforting authority upor
the police to handle collections in the
case of husbands who have been ordered
| to make periodical payments toward the
| maintenance of those whom they should
care for and support
Establishment of an inebriate hospital
Change in Game Laws.
Amendment of the game laws Of the
District SO as to close the season for the
sale of quail in this territory not later
than February /.
Replacement of the first precinct sta
ton house with new and up-to-dat'
structure.
Conferring Of authority upon the polio,
department to assign members Of thu
force from time to time to see that thu
child labor law is enforced, thus elimi
mating the present practice of having twt
men assigned constantly to this work.
Legislation looking to the penalizing o.
persons who may be apprehended on ne
other charge than that of carrying bur
glars tools.
Asks that police officers and policemen
of all classes be increased in number to
$40. in place of the force Of 735 authoriZ-
ed under the present law.
Population of District.
In his report Maj. Sylvester shows that
at the end of the period for which the re-
port was made. June 30, 191@, the popu-
lation of the District of Columbia was
352, O36. and that 25f,26O of these were
white, the remaining $3.50 being colored
The territory embraced In the District
of Columbia, the report shows. embraces
44.S2o acres. this area being considerably
larger than that Of any city comparab BILE
in point Of population with WASHINGTON
and the District. Within the District OF
Columbia, the report shows, are located
more than sixty villages outside of Wash
tions and otherwise located, would have
its own local government and constabL-
larry.
The system of roads and streets within
the District, the report shows, aggregates
49,. O6 miles Of improved and unimproved
streets. avenues and roads, and the total
number of policemen and officers avail
able to patrol and preserve peace and
order in this extensive area is 1873. there
being two vacancies on the police force
at the time the report was prepared.
Large Beats Necessary.
With the present limited number of
policemen available for patrol duty, the
area of some of the beats in the District,
Maj. Sylvester shows. is equal to that OF
a fair-szed city. Some of the beats cover
an area of siXty-three city squares In
the eighth precinct the report shows
with population of approximately $4,000
the precinct being almost wholly residen-
tial, some of the day beats cover thirty
squares, and the night beats are little
smaller.
The work of the bicycle policemen is
shown in the report to have resulted in a
total of 65OS arrests during the year
covered by the report, and a total of
s54.322 in fines was imposed on the per-
sons arrested
Cases of Discipline.
During the year 123 cases of discipline
of members of the police department
were disposed of, this number being a
reduction of forty-seven cases from the
preceding year. In six cases the officer
against whom charges had been prefer
red was removed from the force. Along
with general increase in crime proper
Tomato to the increase in population
thirty murders occurred in the District
of Columbia during the year covered by
the report. this number being larger than
for any previous year
Murder cases resulted in the arrest of
twenty-five persons during the year, six
of these being white and sixteen colored
The greatest number Of murders which
occurred in the District of Columbia
during a previous year was twenty-four,
in 1909, when the District had a popula-
ton of 343, OO3.
Force Asked For.
Maj. Sylvester, in his estimates for
1914. asks for the following members Of
all classes Of the police department:
One major and superintendent; one as
sistant superintendent. three inspectors,
eleven captains, one chief clerk. one clerk
and stenographer. one clerk three clerks
stenographers. four surgeons. seventeen
lieutenants forty-sx sergeants. one SER
geant to enforce pharmacy, dental and
"a ~ Tau ~ In