Putnam patriot., 1922-01-20
Many Duties of State Police

The state department has large
catalogue of duties. Among these are
included the general supervision of
safety measures prescribed by statute
in connection with theatres and NOV
ing picture exhibitions, amusement
parks, fire marshal's duties, weights
and measures. pistol permits and mo-
tor vehicle enforcement and examina-
tions; so that it will at once appear
that at least substantial number of
state policemen must always be as
signed in connection with these.
The main portion of the work for
which the balance Of the men are
available will be along the line of
crime detection, including prohibition
enforcement and investigation into
crimes committed, and preventative
work by system of patrols. IL was
in connection with the latter that
Commissioner Stoeckel's talk dealt.
Preventative work must include a
showing of state policemen in terri
tory not otherwise sufficiently policed
often enough so that the public in
such sections may have immediate ac-
cess 20 an office which is in close con-
neetion with patrolmen and the men
themselves must be available so that
they can respond promptly. The state
police commission and superintendent
seem TO have early realized this phase
of the police problem, and have laid
out system which is now being put
into effect and which will, by early
spring, be in working order. This
system includes the establishment of
sub-stations connected with the cen
trail Office in Hartford. The sub-sta-
tions already established are at Gem
Textbook (which is near Saybrookl.
at Ridgetield. on the entering of the
New York state road. at Stafford
Springs in Holland county. The sta
tions not yet established but under
consideration include one at Canaan
in Litchiield county, one on the Nor
wieh-New London road, one in the
rural districts Of New Haven county.
the place not yet determined, one at
or near Danielson in Windham county
and two or more others under careful
consideration for location. A consid-
Grafton of the locations shows that the
city districts which are already po-
Iced are not duplicated in this por-
ton OF the state police method and il
il apparently intended TO spread the
state police officers around in groups
so that each group may be able when
not engaged on specific duty under or
ders from headquarters, to exercise
general patrol supervision over des
ignated part of the sparsely settled
portion of the state.
Fifty Men on Force Nov
The state police department has so
men. which number includes the SUI
perintendent captain, one lieutenant
and two sergeants. II has a fair APP
preparation which is already found in
difficulties, as one or two items such
as having its officers make the rounds
required inside Of the amounts allow
ed for travel and maintenance expens-
es. Its policy will necessarily be to go
as far as possible with the money and
men at hand, on the basis of the patrol
system outlined, and when its men are
distributed will use them for general
supervision and to make that general
supervision as thorough as possible.
The men are equipped with uni
forms and motorcycles or cars, and
each station win have that type Of
transportation equipment which is
most suitable for the country sur
rounding l. With the sssss.... number
Of men and the large territory to be
covered. anything except the very best