Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-09
STATUS
MAY BE ISSUE
Question Of Strength of Force
Is Being Generally Discussed
POLITICIANS TAKE UP MATTER
Change May Be Made In Start
ing of Automobile
Buses

The recent robbery of Smith
street store involving the loss of per-
haps $4,000 worth of merchandise
which occurred but few days after a
statement from tho chief Of police
that moro men were needed for patrol
duty has thrown the limelight of pub
l1c attention upon the police depart
ment and administration to an unpre-
cedented extent.
Coupled in the same breath with
the chiefs request for more men
comes the state from Mayor Frank
Dorsey that the city cannot afford any
more men for the police force at this
time. 1t is generally known that a
prominent Democratic county leader
having his residence and business In
this city Is strongly opposed to any in
crease in the police force at this time.
How far politics will enter into the
discussion that seems about to be pre-
cipitated Is uncertain, but there has
been an intermittent repartee over
the administration of the police af-
fairs ever since the opinion Of City
Attorney Leo Goldberger this spring
declared that the real head of the de-
partment was not the Mayor but the
chairman of the police committee.
Alderman Wilson and Mayor Dorsey
being on opposite sides of the politi-
cal fence the discussion at this time
only a few weeks before elections
may have a pertinent bearing upon
the campaign issues that will be
thrashed out In the ward arenas this
fall.
One Of the Democratic bosses,
though declining to make a public
statement, ,assailed the policy of the
chief in having traffic officers station
ed at the crossings On Smith and
other streets. He said that these jobs
arl. --ff Il
charged that the men were not on
duty when the traffic was heaviest,
during the evening.
Asked about these remarks ema-
mating from those politically higher
up. Chief Burke said that he had
placed men on traffic duty at the in
tersections on Smith street only after
tersections or where traffic showed
that they were needed. 81 would
rather have several men on traffic
duty on Smith street than have one
little child he hurt for lack of them
! the chief said.
AS opposed to the chiefs plan to
| increase the number of patrolmen
have been made as to ways In which
| men now on other duty could be
placed on patrol duty. The chief
asked for one, patrolman for every
| 1000 of population, estimating the
population. The state law permits
! one patrolman for every 700 people,
! the chief said which would bring the
! force here up to about 85.
The plan most frequently mention
| ed in this connection Is to reduce the
number of traffic men. 1t Is also
| claimed that the patrolman assigned
| to start the buses should be taken
!! off In favor of some other non-pen-
sionable employe. Alderman Albert
G. Waters, of the police committee
stated today that the bus starter was
/ named to work at that post for only
thirty days and that 1t was under
! stood when the change was made that
| the patrolman was simply borrow
ed" from the police department for a
short time. After the city has learn
/ ed definitely how much revenue to ex-
pect from the buses it will be posi-
while to hire a man specially to take
charge of starting the buses, Mr.
| Waters said.
I Chairman Of the Aldermanic Police
Committee William c. Wilson made
the proposal that all of the busses
i start at the City Hall and that the
officer assigned as chauffeur for the
patrol be given the extra duty OF
starting the busses. Mr.. Waters OBJ
Jected to that plan on the ground
that the buses on New Brunswick
avenue and at King street are con-
veniently located and out of the way
of traffic as they are now located.
There are no waiting rooms on Smith
street where persons coming to this
city to Shop may take shelter when
| it is raining or very hot. Mr.. Waters
said, and the convenient location of
the busses makes 1t possible for the
/ travelling public to have seats in the
busses while they are waiting. If il
! were to come to an issue as to
whether it was worth while to have
an extra policeman in order to pro-
vide waiting places for the public
Mr.. Waters stated that he believed
that the advantages offered were
worth the patrolman's cost to the
city.
But after It is all said none will
make a statement at this time as to
whether the city has enough police.
Chief Burke alone says that we are
lucky to have had so few robberies
and that we need more men.
Who has the lowest taxicab rates in