The New York herald., 1921-01-16
RECRUIT BRIGADE
TAKING TRAINING
FOR POLICE FORCE
Two Months Instruction for
$50 Who Are Seeking to
Join the Finest.
GOOD RAW MATERIAL
Course Includes Personal
Instruction on Actual
Cases With Detectives.
DAILY ROUTINE RIGOROUS
Plan Followed Is Similar to
That Offered in Military
Schools.
GOOD RAW MATERIAL
DAILY ROUTINE RIGOROUS

The largest freshman class that has
ever presented itself for instruction in
the science and fine art of being New
York policeman is now in session
daily at Police Headquarters. About
$50 men have changed within the last
week from civilian clothes to the
khaki of the training school in order
that two months from now they may
be graduated into the blue.
So many are there that they are
having night as well as day classes
From s o'clock In the morning until
midnight the gymnasium echoes daily
10 the tread of marching feet, the slap
of the boxing glove and the ring of
in the classrooms big, patient men
who thought until recently that their
school days were long past bend over
their lessons trying to memorize the
manifold duties of a cop and the laws
governing his conduct. Few will funk.
few will get discouraged and drop out.
Before he enters the training school
the candidate has been so vigorously
tested that he is a picked man, and as
such he usually goes through and into
uniform.
To Add 788 to Force.
The Board Of Estimate three weeks
ago gave Commissioner Enright the
right to add 769 patrolmen to the
force. The Aldermen declined to pro-
vide salaries for them. but the appoint
ments are likely to be made just the
same, and II the Aldermen don't find
the money, the Board of Estimate will.
To provide this force 104 recruits
already in training, 900 on the old
eligible list Of the Civil Service Commits
sion and $50 on the new list were all
summoned to appear at the Centre Street
University at o'clock last Monday
morning. giving the school total of 754
students. The largest number there at
any one previous time was 51s. back
In 1918.
with it's one week of training. Already
the work OF transformation Is under
way. But on seeing them straggle into
Headquarters a week ago you would
have noted all sorts of gaits. postures
and clothes. The only common factor
was youth, for man joining the force
cannot be more than 30 years old or less
than 81.
Acting Captain Charles E. Schofield.
the officer in charge Of the school, has
been in the department twenty-fiv,
years. He has been In the training
school nine years. Commissioner Woods
had him there and Commissioner En-
right retained him.
Nearly 700 men-more than half the
force-have been tutored by him. When
Woods was new in his Job and sceptical
he brought in an expert In physical
training from Groton School to tell him
how the police school could be bettered
The expert studied Schofield's methods
for month and then said to Woods:
No use In my staying any longer.
Your system OF calisthenics and drill Is
perfect. If have any criticism at all
II Is that maybe the men are worked
too hard"
Capt schofield told a reporter for
THE NEW YORK HERALD yesterday that
the department Is getting now about the
same type OF man IL got before the war,
considerably better than 1t got during
the war and incomparably better than
II got twenty-five years ago.
Few Drinkers These Days.
'of course" he said. the work has
- N.1
on the other hand In the days before
Theodore Roosevelt was A. Commis-
sioner and when political influence was
everything many fat incompetent got
in who knew nothing except how TO
swing stick There was much drum
kenness and general slackness. Now
We are hardly bothered with drink at
all. / doubt II more than a fifth of
the men on the force or who come
here TO learn how to be policemen ever
touch liquor.
II don't think tho prohibition law
has brought about a change. ! think
II Is due to the gradual change in
public sentiment and OF course to bot
ter discipline. When ! was a young
patrolman and had TO sleep In the
section room Il was positively nauseat-
Ing, the smell Of bad booze and bad
cigars and general unkemptncss. To-
day everybody knows that the average
patrolman Is a model OF physical fit
ness. The fundamental teaching IN our
training school Is the teaching OF self
respect. scrupulous cleanness and cour-
tesy 10 all the public. ! suppose my
own career is sort OF object lesson
have always been what you might
call particular about my personal ap-
pearance and attention 10 the rules
OF the department. I recall that when
] was a roundsman and John DAILY, now
. Second Deputy Commissioner. was n
captain. he pointed me out as an OK
ample for others. mention that merely
because a teacher must be able 10 prove
that he profited by what he teaches.
I have never had any trouble In the
department, have made steady progress
and could retire now on n pension, but
find the work too interesting.
when the classes are graduated ]
Always make little speech. and !
suppose nothing Is more effective than
imprcssing upon the men the value OF
the neat. clean uniform. for II the
policeman is right in that respect he
Is likely TO be right in others. You
know how people always look twice
az man in uniform, and II he Is
elouchy or Is leaning. against a pillar
or wall the visitor from out OF town
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