The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-17
s head OF the Police Department
\ in New York city, a great army
= Of nearly II 900 men, costing

Of nearly II 900 men. costing
the city almost $4,000 900 an.
nually. Commissioner Arthur Woods
has striven to expand the scope Of
usefulness Of this splendid force to the
city.
III we are TO get from the police
force h results desired" says Com
missioner Woods. 1T il necessary to
give to police officers adequate power,
full responsibility. and then to demand
from them results. The inspector
must be responsible for his district,
the captain for his precinct. ard so
on; the duties must be made clear
and each officer must be made to feel
that he will be supported in his efforts
to accomplish results.
"a policeman is entitled ~ definite
orders. II he is to achieve success in
the work assigned to him he must he
given to understand clearly and speci-
ncally just what that work IL. He
must not be arbitrarily interfered with
or overridden. My policy has beer to
take no important step In the matter
OF reorganization without thorough
consultation with members Of the
force especially qualified to give ad-
vice on the subject. | have made every
ehort to institute improvements. bu,
only following careful study and ex-
pertinent.
THE primary duty OF the policeman
70 to protect life and property and to
maintain law and order. This has
been steadily kept in mind and no
changes have been made or will be
made which might lessen the effective
ness Of the police force in these di-
sections
in his annual report to Mayor
Mitchell the Police commissioner calls
attention to the following principal
changes in administrative methods
during the past year:
Consideration OF police problems and
methods at the weekly conferences with
the inspectors.
Utilization Of the knowledge and ex-
verience of commanding officers by re-
ferrinE to committees Of inspectors spe-
cine problems OF administration or pro-
cedure.
Giving opportunity 10 every man on the
force to confer with the head Of the de-
partment concerning any grievance or
other matter which he might care to
lay before the Police Commissioner.
Introduction OF suspended sentence
n probation in the less serious cases
Tor delinquent members of the force.
Extending the authority Of the chief
Inspector as head OF the uniformed force.
Aside from the routine administra-
tive work OF the department. much
attention has been given to the de-
velopment of methods and procedure
by which a more effective administra-
tive control may be obtained. Revised
methods of recording and reporting
complaints. police action on conf
plants and arrests have already been
put into effect. The methods of re-
porting In the detective bureau have
been improved. Other changes both
in police procedure and in the ac-
counting and purchasing methods
have been made.
Commissioner Woods reports the
following comparative statistics under
the heading Arrests:
The total number of persons ar
rested or summoned for all causes in
1914 was ls0,ls4, as compared with
1901 in 1913. There were ls0,49l
cases disposed of during the year. OF
these 1887 were convicted. or FAC
per cent. against 1871 per cent. con-
victed in 1913 and 7l.5 in 1912.
Arrests for felonies show an in
crease of e2.5 per cent. and couvic-
lions an increase of "a per cent. There
were 6 per cent. more arrests for mis-
demeanors than in 1913 and and SO
per cent. more convictions for those
offences. Arrests for juvenile delin-
quency decreased . per cent, as COM
pared with 1918, and ~ per cent, as
compared with 1912. Convictions de-
creased Is per cent. and 81 per cent.