New-York tribune., 1919-02-12

been told that one block in Rivington
Street contains more people than any
other equal area in tho world.
Toward the end Of the afternoon
reached the upper northwest part OF
the island of Manhattan, and while
climbing up a hill on a narrow, soft,
muddy road, shut in by bushes and
trees on both sides, with no house in
sight, wild rabbit suddenly scuttled
across the road in front of me- 1t is
evident that the inhabitants of Riv-
ington Street and the rabbits of north
west Manhattan do not need the same
kind of policing. Thickly populated
parts of the city need foot patrol, and
the posts must be short enough for
effective work, not more than a few
blocks long. The outlying parts of a
great city, however, places such as
you will find in some parts of Queens.
OF Richmond, of the Bronx, would not
be as we'll served by this kind of
policing as they would by an entirely
different method.
What district Of this kind needs
is not a large number of policemen
patroling peaceful streets where moth
ing ever happens; it needs a patrol on
bicycle, or in automobile, that is
capable of covering lot of ground,
and it needs frequent sub stations
scattered all through the territory, in
each little settlement, connected by
telephone, so that the wrongdoer knows
That policemen are planted all through
the neighborhood, and the neighbor
hood knows that policeman can be
summoned by telephone and is near
enough so that he can reach any part
OF the district in certainly not more
than tive minutes.
Precinct Needs Vary
In New York we have given inten-
slve study to the needs of every pre-
lnct in the greater city, and have
tried to apply to each the particular
method of patrolling which could best
accomplish the purpose aimed at. Along
these newer lines of patrol great i'm
provement has been made, but greater
progress remains for the future, and
continual revision and readaptation Of
methods are necessary as conditions
change.
Detective work also has improved
in skill and in method. About ten years
ago was Deputy Commissioner in
charge of the Detective Bureau in New
York ! was bit shocked, very early
IN my career there, to find that nc
proper record was kept of the assign.
ment OF cases to detectives and of the
results achieved by detectives working
on. them. Such a system was at once
installed, and one morning while talk
ing to an experienced detective about
case he was working on l asked hin
what he thought of this new system
OF Keeping account of cases.
"Well, Commissioner" he answered
1T may be all right. | guess, perhaps
IT'S pretty good. 1t certainly keeps us
guessing, but it's different from the
old way. In the old way when 6
',squeaP came in over the phone the
lieutenant at the desk wrote it dowr
on piece of paper and handed it to E
detective. Here, BILL he'd says, look
that up. Bill took the paper, put il
IN hls pocket, and when the paper wore
Ut the case was closed"
Science Helps Policeman
The detective in his work can he
helped just as much by modern science
and modern improved methods of or.
ganlzatlon and operation as can any
other profession or line of business
Modern methods won't make good de-
tectlVe out of poor one any more
IMAM they will make a good salesman
Out ut poor one, or a good electrician
put they viii help capable man to dc
ms Job better, whether' that Job be pro.
tectlng life on the streets of a citv o,
saving life attacked by disease.
r. Copyright by Princeton Universit,
press: lr: published by Arrangement with fh'
twenty -hrst Century Press)