El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-08-23
Police And Fire Departments Under
Civil Service; Arrests Decrease In
City With AdUent Of Prohibition

! DOTH the police and fire depart
u ments OF FL Paso are now under
civil service.
With the decrease OF crimes and
misdemeanors IN the last two years,
the police force has been gradually
reduced from III until 1t now num-
bers in al u. This includes both the
police proper. and the II members OF
the detective bureau
As now constituted the police de-
partment is as follows: J. R Mont
gomery. chief: J. ". Reese. inspector
OF police and in charge OF the detec-
tive bureau; police captains. P. H
Phoenix, W A Simpson. and J. D.
Thompson; police sergeants r L
Castieberry. J. E Stowe and S. c
Houston; detective sergeant. C. T.
Smith; J. J. Hausinger, secretary; Mrs.
Ida Ninson. police matron, Mrs. Kate
Farnham. police woman. and Mrs Vir-i
stnia Melendez. with the detective bu-
reau; 5S patrolmen and other officers
Chief Montgomery reports that he
mas sufficient men properly to patrol
the city at the present time.
Pay Is Increased.
Councilman W T Griffith, the new
police commissioner. is an experienced
officer and knows the duties and the
work Of a police officer
The minimum pay is 800 = month
for a policeman and sos for detect !
ives This schedule has been in force
mum was S95 and 500. respectively.
The records OF the department /
show that misdemeanors have de- I
creased about 40 percent since pro-
hibition has been in force Felonies I
as q whole do not show such a de- /
crease, because certain classes Of pc
nal crimes have increased, chiefly boot /
Logging and offenses in connection 1
with Illicit liquor traffic
Decrease In Arrests.
A comparative table OF the total
number Of arrests made in the last
three calendar years fully completed,
and in the first seven months of the
present year, IS furnished by the de-
partment;
1e16-11,99s.
191T-i6, O9s.
Seven months ending July. 1873
Total number OF arrests and amount
OF goods recovered by the detective
department from Nay 1913. to June,
1913:
Number Of arrests ...............1244l
gitives from justice) ...... Il
Transfers to military and federal
authorities l4e
Transfers to county authorities
for various crimes ....... 59S
Total amount Of property reported
Total amount Of property returned
70 owners, 61.535.00. l.
A report OF the arrests made by the
detective department last month
shows III during July. About so per
,ent OF all property stolen during the
month was recovered The total yalu-
ltion OF property stolen in July was
1855, while the total value Of recov-
sred property was S5863. In other
words. the reeoveries during last
month exceeded in value the new
hefts during the same period.
Card System Installed.
A card system Is now being installed
n the detective department as a quick
land record Of stolen property.
The cases investigated by the po-
ice department have increased in the
last year. Concerning this phase OF
'oliee duty, chief Montgomery recent
= said;
THE time Of the police force is not
My taken up by actual violations Of
he law, but a large part of the en-
rgies OF the department is consumed
n settling family rows and neighbor-
lDD4 W. nave 10 act uS a
ort of court Of domestic relations A
OF Of time Is taken up in handling
questions OF delinquent children which
re not exactly criminal matters and
he social problems which arise in the
ity take up a great deal OF time. Per-
ons call on the police for everything
n the world: they ring US for the
ime Of day; call on US to enforce the
anitation regulations, to stop the
eighbor's dogs from barking. or -
ush the neighbours piano, or some
xcited woman will report having
cen a strange man somewhere and
equest US to investigate.
Auto Stealing Problem.
This city like all others Is con-
rontec with the problems OF auto
lobile stealing. These are very DIFF
icult to handle for obvious reasons.
ne being that there are so many cars
nth no distinguishing marks In FL
aso the difficulties OF this class Of
rimes Is aggravated by the fact that
70 are on the border. and thieves can
AXE cars to Mexico in the night
'espite these adverse conditions, we
ucceed In recovering more stolen
automobiles on an average than any
Their police force in the country. We
re assisted now in this work by a
ew state law recently enacted, which
equireS both the buyer and seller of