The Connecticut labor news., 1922-01-13
STOECKEL REVIEWS GENERAL DUTIES OF
 THE STATE POLICE
Will Be Used to Protect Rural Dis tricts Principally, Says
 Commissioner.

eHeCllVcly cooperate With the state pO- lice by reporting to its representatives every type of trivial incident which con- stitutes an infraction of the law, was made by Motor Vehicle Commissioner Robbins B. Stoeckel, speaking as a mem Der of the state police commission, at the annual meeting of the state grange here "Wednesday night.
 He announced the opening of state police substations Ill three small towns i'll different counties of the state and the fact that similar stations are soon to be opened ill Litchheld, New London, Wind ham and New Haven Counties Sparsely settled portions of the state are to be divided up between the several sub-s sta- tions for general patrol, giving a pro- lection to crops and other rural property which limited facilities have heretofore made impossible. The following is a brief digest of Commissioner Stocke1's address,:
 The State of Connecticut has 5,O04 square miles. Out of this there are about 300 square miles which are densely populated. The cities, large towns and their suburbs. These 300 square miles spend yearly the estimated round sum of $l 100000 for police protection. The bal ance of the territory in the state has no police organization or protection except such as is furnished by local peace off, cers and by the state police. It is appar- ent therefore that, i'll order to properly police the country districts, of which the greater portion of this territory consists, thorough going system of men locally placed is absolutly necessary.
 The state police department has a large catalogue of duties. Among these are included the general supervision of Sd fety measures prescribed by statute i'll connection with theatres and moving pie ture exhibitions, amusement parks fire marshals duties, weights and measures, pistol permits and motor vehicle en- forcemcnt and examinations so that it will at once appear that at least a sub stantial number of state policemen must always be assigned in connection with these.
 The main portion of the work for which the balance of the men are avail able will be along the line of crime de- lection, including prohibition enforce ment and investigation into crimes com mitted, and preventive work by system of patrols It was in connection with the latter that Commissioner Stockel's talk dealt.
 Preventive work must include show ing of state policemen i'll territory not otherwise sufficiently policed often enough so that the public in such sections may have immediate access to an office trolmen 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 central office at Hartford The sub-stations already established are at Centerbrook (which is near Saybrook), at Ridgeheld, on the entering of the New York state road, at Stafford Springs in Holland county. The stations not yet established but under consideration include one at Canaan Ill Litchfleld county, one on the Norwich New London road, one i'll the rurol dis tricts of New Haven county, the place not yet determined, one at or near Dan ielson i'll Windham county andtwo or more others under careful consideration for location A consideration of the To- cations shows that the city districts which are already policed are not dupli- cated in this portion of the state police methods and it is apparently intended to spread the state police officers around Ill groups so that each group may be able when not engaged on specific duty under orders from headquarters, to eercise gen eral patrol supervision over designated part of the sparsely settled portion of the state.
 The police problem like any other prob lem so far as 1t is a preventive one IS a problem of the citizens themselves. In order to be effective the state police de- partment needs immediate information about every type of trivial incident which constitutes an infraction of the law so that the officer in charge can, upon re- ceipt of information, know how to go about investigation. His report and fut- ure conduct in connection with it will be the subject of direction and criticism from headquarters. The effort which the police department needs to make is oget the public to use the offices in a free manner and to tell their troubles tc the men freely without reservation Sc