The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-09
"KID COPS" IN NEW YORK
By MARY CHAMBERLAIN

Daily reports of work done or tips" to the senior force are dropped for Cap tain Sweeney in a report box at the Boys club on Avenue A and Tenth street and superior officers meet with their chief every Tuesday night. At these meetings the boys are made familiar with the mu- nicipal ordinances regarding cleanliness or streets, hre prevention, etc, which they have set out to enforce as well as the duties and organization of the New York city police. Public school No 6 has provided a drill room and drill mas ters for the squad twice week and the junior officers may give drills them selves at the school every day
 These youthful guardians of peace are trying to teach the responsibilities of citizenship to the young and old of the East Side They help keep streets clean. fire escapes cleared, garbage cans in proper condition. Their list of duties reads. Make special effort to perform tsueh) duties at your own homes See that your parents and relatives do no, violate the laws and ordinances
 l The members of each squad are assigned | to daily tour of inspections of the ten ements in the 701S blocks comprising a zone. Since the population in this pari I Of New York Is very foreign and the habitants do not understand such cit, | laws, for example, as those against en- 1 cumbrances or Instructions on fire es capes the boys find that much of thei, work consists In explaining the municipa ordinances. When the explanation i. 1 made, the law is usually obeyed an5 Captain Sweeney thinks these 'Nnspectior | tours" not only give the junior polic. ! helpful field of work but result ir | more justice than hauling an ignoran Yiddish matron into the magistrate, court. where she is likely to be fined slo
 Cutting Out Street Evils
 Besides this effort to quicken healtl and safety on the East Side the iunio, police are the sworn foes of craps shoot ing swearing, chalking sidewalks, bon | fire building and cigarette smoking b, minors. For instance points out Cap tain Sweeney, since the force wa. | formed, we have had few complaint. about street bonfires, whereas we uset to have a hundred a night sometimes We expect to save the city thousandl of dollars in asphalt"
 The kid cops" avoid bullying and beins bullied in enforcing the law They carr no billies and boast no strong arm squad If they can't gain their pur pose by being polite and .helpful', ir accordance with their motto, they re. port to the senior force They are in structed to call the regulars when olde, boys are causing trouble "Souealing' has become the virtue of loyalty to tho l force"
 There's just one trouble with the i,, niors, sighed Captain Sweeney. they al want to be detectives. They want to fer
 ret out plots just like the fellow wh, slinked into my office the other day will something bundled up under his coat ant a mysterious whisper. It turned out tt be diagram of a candy shop wher, trap doors in the floor made him sus
 pect band of thieves. We have to dis courage this sleuthng. This force fl
 going to make the East Side clean as { whistle and healthier place for tn, kids, but if you haven't sense you cal always carry a good thing too far