The New York herald., 1922-02-20
FINDS NO ECONOMY
IN ENRIGHT'S PLANS
Citizens Union Organ Sees Eff
ficiency Much Reduced by
Abolishing Stations.

Commissioner Richard +. Enright's
recently announced plan for a reorgan-
ization of the Police Department and
consolidation of precincts that involves
the abolition OF three in Manhattan and
one in Brooklyn is the subject of criti-
cfSm in the forthcoming issue of the
Sedrchhght, the official organ of the
Citizens Union. The article will say in
part:
1T is to be hoped that al of these
purposes may be achieved Without re-
ducing the efficiency of the department.
Events following similar changes pre-
viously made by Commissioner Enright
are none too encouraging.
Economy and efficiency have not
resulted from Mr. Enright's assignment
of police inspectors, with aids of va
rlous ranks from the uniformed force,
to strictly civilian duties in relation to
the Bureau of Repairs and Supplies and
similar matters. Likewise there is no
economy in changing a situation in
which the salary cost of force super
vision is increased from $4,000 at
1921 rates to $4,000, as it is under
the new plan.
Hard Districts Increased.
I'm October, 1920, after the appoint-
ment OF Chief Inspector Lahey. the old
Third and Fourth Inspection districts
were combined, making a single inspec-
ton district out of all the territory be-
tween Fourteenth street and 10th
street west of Fifth avenue. This en-
largement was effected Notwithstanding
the view of former Chief Inspector John
DAILY. now Deputy Commissioner. that
the old Fourth Inspection district was
the most difficult one in the city in
which to suppress vice and gambling.
Nevertheless, the latest change further
extends this district so as to make il
run to Spuyten Duyvil, west of Eighth
avenue.
THE Commissioners determination TO
discontinue certain station houses must,
moreover. have been pretty recent. be-
cause for six Of them he requested APP
propriations for repairs tctaling S13,-
900 in 1920 and $26.525 in 1921.
The alleged saving must be further
reduced by another 100000 applied for.
to enlarge facilities in station houses
III the extended precincts. Finally, the
remaining alleged saving of $3.50, 900 is
turned into large loss in view of the
fact that of the sum requested for new
sites and buildings at least 100000 is
for new stations in consolidated pre-
cincts in which the city now owns sta
ton houses. Throughout the Commits
sioner's estimated cost of sites and
buildings is very generous 1t is still
too early, however. to know whether
there Is to be a repetition Of bit of
history which the Commissioner him
self recalled in explaining the discon-
tinuance OF certain station houses, say
irg: In some instances station houses
were placed in a certain locality be-
cause some enterprising citizen or poll
tician had q plot OF ground for sale
Claims Hard to Follow.
commissioned Enright claims that
the abolition of precincts save $4,000
each per annum, through the abolition
of one captain, four lieutenants, nine
sergeants. &c, per precinct. This claim
Is difficult to follow, since the area to
be patrolled remains the same whether
two precincts are separate or combined
and since the need is not for less but for
more intensive patrol. The patrolmen
are not to be reduced in number and
the lieutenants and sergeants cannot be
so reduced unless the supervision OF
patrol is to be relaxed.
"On the whole, therefore, the Com
missioner's claim of great economy Is
palpably unfounded. That there will be
increased efficiency is seriously to be
doubted. but only experience will tell.
Certainly the public convenience and
confidence are not promoted by increas-
ing the distance to police stations.
There is however. no renson for
Encouragement among enterprising citi-
zens and politicians with real estate
for sale"