The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-05
PREPARED NOW
TOD0GOOD WORK
Police Department Comfortable
for Once in New Quarters
on Broad Street.
AMPLE ROOM FOR EVERYBODY
New Arrangement Will Enable
Patrol to Unload Prisoners
at Alley Entrance.
AMPLE ROOM FOR EVERYBODY

Housed comfortably for the first time
since 1t began to outgrow its old head
quarters in the City Hall. the Police
Department is now better able to cope
with and meet the growing needs Of a
growing city than il ever was before
and there was something of the spirit
OF satisfaction i'll both Major Werner
and Captain OF Detectives Mcmahon
when recently they entered and took
up their abode In the building at 1904
East Broad Street. The building is
large and amply sufficient to care for
the growth OF another Ave years, and
pacious quarters for the two chief
branches of the servicc--the executive
quarters, with its clerical staff and
cabinets. and the detective quarters,
which also has It's clerk and volumi-
nous flies.
Major Werner and Captain Pollock
representing the executive branch of
the service, occupy most OF the first
floor OF the building. in which also are
large, well-furnishcd receiving room
for the Chief OF Police and n room for
the Board of Police Commissioners at
its meetings On the second floor Cap
tain Mcmahon and the detectives arc
having his own special Office and a sep
arate room for the examination of GER
tain prisoners. and the detectives hav-
ing another room, in which each Of
them Is provided with desk facilities
and lockers, in which he may keep his
private records and papers. On this
noor are also the office of William To-
Ter. clerk of the detective department
and compiler OF BertilIon records and
photographs. -and u sleepingroom for
tho detectives detailed for night duty.
An addition In the rear affords other
quarters for such service as they may
be needed, and "a spccialNroom provided
for the newspaper men.
no Brond street Spectacle.
In the basement is n room in which
convicted prisoners are photographed
and measured for the Bertlllon records.
and there is another room in which re-
cords and tiles may be kept in fire.
proof cabinets. All the Office rooms
open on the outside. and are. therefore,
we'll lighted, while for the night there
Is ample electrical lighting arrange
mcnt. a large yard in tho rear pro-
vides retiring ground and leisure
resort for the men when they are not
actively engaged in duty.
When improvements that are plan
ned are put into effect, there will be a
garage for the headquarters aueomo-
ed through the alley running from
Eleventh Street. so that Broad Street
will not be afforded the spectacle of
prisoners being taken Into and re-
moved from headquarters.
The building will be furnished with
ma hogany furniture in every room,
and each of the executive officers Will
have large mahogany desk. Steel
iiling cases, made to conform to the
general decorative Idea, Will be in
stalled within the next few weeks.
The general telephone service will be
controlled by switchboard. and each
officer will be able to communicate
connected from the outside At his
desk Major Werner can get into In
slant communication with all the sta
lions, and Will be within reach of any
officer on his beat With hardly n
seconds loss of time signals to any
part OF the city can be flashed. and in
n short time the whole force could be.
if necessary, concentrated at any given
point
Department Highly Efficient.
1t is generally recognized that the
police force is now more efficient than
1t has been during it's history. and the
commissioners believe that Major
Werner has proved himself to be an
able and faithful executive. In com
pletc command of all the details of the
department and possessed OF 81 judg-
ment that is grounded on absolute
knowledge Of the needs of the service.
No less efficient is Captain Mcmahon.
in the opinion of the commissioners,
and the detective department.. once
without even the form of organiZa-
ton, has. under his management, been
reduced to a harmonious and efficient
system.
When Captain Mcmahon became head
of the department five years ago there
were. only five men in> that branch,
and records were rarely available. be-
ing dependent mostly upon mans
memory. Now there are nine men in
actual service in the detective depart
ment, with extra men added in times
OF emergency; all records are placed on
hle and the work has been thoroughly
systetnatized and harmonized.