The New York herald., 1920-01-18
I Ratio POLICE ESQUAD SHOULD
Be DOUBLED, AND IMMEDIATELY,
MAGISTRATE McADOO ASSERTS
Urges Also Srcter Examnat for Licenses Better Train
ing for Policemen and Suspension and Recall of Ii
censes More Direct and Practicable.

than decreased. The answer TO that is
this:--If the police ceased their activities
/ and this Court this cooperation not only
would the dangers be greatly increased
over whSt they are but vehicular traffic
in the streets would be practically inn
possible. In other words, IL there was no
rigid police regulation OF traffic the
drivers would tie themselves up in knots
on every corner and things would come
to a standstih.
Il have urged repeatedly upon the au-
thorities that the first step to be taken il
10 at once double the Traffic Squad In
regulating traffic you cannot get rid OF
and he should be an experienced officer
and trained for the work
There are hundreds of dangerous cross
ings especially in the Borough of Man
haitian. which ought 10 be covered by q
police officer. Some of them now cannot
be crossed at all by pedestrians. they are
so dangerous.
'''rhsre are 1900 policemen In London
AZ against about 10000 here. Every visitor
10 that city knows that practically every
officer on duty in the congested part Of
the city OF London is engaged in one
thing, and one thing only - regulating
vehicular traffic.
Efforts have been made here to make
the man on post take notice or traffic
conditions. but, apparently, that is hope
less. He does not believe that il is his
business and he will not interfere with il
unless he is compelled TO do SO by specific
orders from the Police Commissioner
The result is that the traffic is left wholly
in the hands for the whole of Greater
New York of something less than eight
hundred men, with the painful results
known to all OF us.
IT am of the opinion that no matter
what the financial conditions are there
is nothing for which the people OF New
York would pay money moro gladly than
tho trained and specialized policemen
regulating vehicular traffic in these
streets.
THE Police Commissioner tells me that
there is at present practically no eligible
list for additional policenen-that is, that
tho Municipal Civil Service Commission
list has been exhausted. Ir this Is so that
list ought to be added to at once. AT any
rate that is my view of the problem, and
am on these streets every day, in all
parts of them and in the worst quarters,
and not only read about those dangers
but see them and feel them every min
ute. The cry should go up from the poo
pie, Give us more police protection in the
way of regulating traffic
Careful Driver should Aid.
"As 20 a committee of drivers and own
erS who have a conscious sense OF their
responsibilities, that would be excellent
as far as it goes. Here is a driver who IS
a careful man, a humane man, decent
man, does not want to injure anybody.
who sees all drivers brought into disrepute
by the reckless, heartiess, cruel way in
which some Of them operate their cars.
Why should he not join an association
and boycott the other fellows. expose
them, report them TO the authorities and
help to do the main thing, which is to
have their licenses revoked.
THE only way TO punish an incorrig1bie,
heartless. cruel driver is to take away MS
license That is better than timing or
Imprisonment And the largest discre-
tionary power ought 70 be given TO either
the magistrates or the Police Conmis-
sioner, or TO the Secretary of state. and
the process should be made just as simple
as possible. SO that the license might DC
suspended or taken away. II is hard.
cruel condition and you have TO meet II
in a practical and direct method.
"a movement such as has been sus~
gested to the HERALD has already been
started and is called the League for Mo-
torists' Protection, Inc"