New-York tribune., 1919-08-08
RaiIauay offered
AUPOLice Needed
Brooklyn Department Put
in Command of Deputy
Commissioner Lahey

Second Deputy Police Commissioner
William Lahey, summoned back from
his vacation, took command in Brook
lyn last night and promised vigorous
measures to prevent strike disorders
and full protection to all the cars the
B. R. 7. would send out. With the ap-
parent idea of proving that he mea mt
business the Deputy Police Commits
sioner asked reporters to remain in
his Office while he answered a tele-
phone call from William S. Menden,
assistant general manager of the B.
R. T.
What do you say" demanded Dep
uty Commissioner Lahey into the
transmitter while he glanced at his
aud ence. You want to know when
we want you to discontinue service ?
We don't want you to discontinue SER
vice at all. We will give you protec-
tion for twenty -four hours for all the
cars you want to run"
voice buzzed unintelligibly in the
instrument and Lahey reiterated his
promise.
1--WE will protect you on all your
lines for the entire twenty-four hours. !"
he declared, "if you want to run YOUR
cars"
Promises Sufficient Protection"
Apparently In response to a query
as to when the patrolmen on duty at
elevated stations would be relieved.
Lahey continued:
1--WE will relieve them at the proper
time, but we don't want to discontinue
service at all It's up to you to run all
your cars. We will see that you get
sufficient protection"
That ended the telephone conversa-
tion. Emphasizing the promises he had
made to the B. R. T. the Deputy Police
Commissioner averred that he would
provide police protection for 10000 cars
or 10000 if the company would start
them out. Within a short time, ne said.
he was going to consult with the six
borough inspectors and inform himself
fully concerning the situation. From
another source it was learned that the
B. r. I. was to be represented at the
conference.
AS to where he would get men to pro-
tect 10000 cars or 10000, the Deputy
Police Commissioner did not say. He
would "find them," he said-if the COM
pany sent out the cars
-Four hundred additional patrolmen
were sent to Brooklyn from Manhattan
yesterday AFTERNOON. Soon after LaheV
took command in the evening borough
headquarters hummcd with activity.
Motor cars with engines throbbine
clogged the curbs.
Detectives Also on Job
Detectives from Manhattan head
quarters came in by couples and
squads. There were men from the
vice squad, the bomb squad, the strong
arm squad, the pickpocket squad, all
due to perform strike duty
Deputy Commissioner Leach, who has
charge OF the borough's police, has been
away for some time. The strike situa-
ton has been handled in his absence by
borough Inspector Thomas Murphy.
Deputy Commissioner Lahey would not
comment on the possible significance Of
his being chosen to supersede the bor-
ough inspector rather than the Deputy
commissioner in command of the bor-
ough. The fact that he was recalled from
his vacation, however, was taken to mean
that the Mayor had decided to put the
question of service squarely ND to the
B. Il. T., and give the police orders to
quell riots with stern hand
fumors were current during the day
that machine guns had been brought to
Brooklyn for use by the police In the
afternoon an army truck containing
seventy cases of steel helmets backed
up at Brooklyn Police Headquarters
Inspector Murphy said the helmets had
been sent by mistake and that the no.
lice had no intention of using them.