Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-03

out of the way at this time.
Il am opposed, and honestly so,
10 any attempt to even underrate
the amoun Of work necessary to
properly police this city, and have
my experience as a member of the
force OF this city for many years on
which to found my opposition.
This city is not sufficiently polio
ed at this minute and IL is no fault
of the police department that it is
not. I have laid out five beats for
the patrOlmen to cover. and have
only enough men to patrol three of
them. The roundsman is doing pa
troll duty to make it possible to pa
troll three of the beats. There should
be at least three roundsmen and at
the very lowest figure, at least three
additional patrolmen.
II is necessary that some m be
on duty every hour of the dav and
night to take ARE of the county and
state calls that come into police
headquarters. and to take the record
sent over the recently installed po-
lice call and recall system.
Il do not know whether or not
you have forgotten that the sheriffs
office is now the county center for
the report of any and all criminal
matters at any hour OF the day and
] night. 1 have not forgotten because
the sheriff's Office will not let me
forget.
1T is not only u duty to police
South Amboy. hut we must also CO.
operate with the neighboring COM
munities and with the county author
tiles in the enforcement of law and
order.
"Is it the intention of the citizens
of South Amboy to junk the system
for the call and recall OF police that
has but recently been installed at
a cost Of almost $1,000 and which
has not as vet had a thorough and
fair trial, although in daily use and
daily showing that it was the best
investment South Amboy ever made?
THE summer season is now at
hand and traffic will be IN hundred
times through the city as it has been.
From the standpoint of a police Of
ficer, every automobile carries po-
tential law breaker. 1t is no time
to he talking about cutting down the
police force when a condition such
as hat confronts you. The savings
of a few hundred or a few thousands
of dollars to the taxpayers at large
will hardly make good the robbery
of one store or the killing of
child. The city budget for police is
$4,000. This means TO the general
taxpayer about sixty cents e 500
of assessed valuation. If that is too
much insurance to pay for peace
and security. then why take out
fire insurance which costs any
where from 30 cents to 81 per hun
bred. depending on the kind of in
9tf..a naa N0ft fakn and tho location
of your property and fire insurance
does not prevent fires which the po-
lice often are the first ones to de-
tect. Proper and sufficient police
protection will prevent all crime and
disorder.
Il do not wish to appear Il say |
that the members of the police force
are the best in the world, that there
has not been times when they were
lax in the performance of their
duties. But ! do say that the men,
bers of the South Amboy police
force will compare favorably with
any in the state and cite in proof of
that. the recent time robbery. in
tires were returned to their owner
in the course of a weeks time and
every person within the state of
New Jersey implicated in the rob-
berry, either apprehended or held
over for the grand jury or held as
a material witness. Ask the owner
of the robbed garage, whether sixty
cents per hundred dollars was too
much for him to pay for the pro-
lection given him at that time?
IF things do not go right in South
Amboy. the police force are the ones
who get the blame. You cannot ex-
~xf - ~ IL tka i
work that should properly be ham
died by not less than twenty or
twenty-five.
Give me the support that I ask
for and need. l will guarantee YOU
and the people of South Amboy
the protection that they and you
will have the right to expect.
yours very respectfully.
"(Signed) JAMES MCDOWELL.
"Chief of Police"
This challenge to the members of
the council body was met with sew
eral retorts from Councilman Dis
brow. who is forcing a stringent
policy of economy.
More police? Huh. wonder what
for? You can see two keeping each
other company at all times on
Broadway. Maybe they are all
to offer more"
The communication. on motion Of
Councilman Lovely, was referred TO
the committee on police. The vote
found Councilmen Stockton and Dis
brow voting in the negative.
1.-THE placing of this communica-
ton in the hands OF the police COM
mittee euchres me out. and L want
a voice in the affair."" said Mr.. Dis
brow.
Councilman Lovely assured the
councilman from the fourth ward
that the committee would begin
their investigation and would render
a report within a short time, and
dn,Io~nJ hn vfaTtI1 ufya hanavf ran-l