New-York tribune., 1922-04-08
Estimate Board
EsushesI
u olice Increase
Votes l.i92 More Patrol
men Without a Protest:
Craig Offers 20 Find
81 100000 10 Paw Them
Emergency Is Recognized
Hylan and Enrigh, ''Damm"
The Press and Albany, but
Admi' They've Coz To Act

public clamor Tor better police rro-
lection. Police Commissioner Fnright
appeared before the board and made
an urgent plea for more patromon. The
board promptly voted to increase the
police force by l1o2 men and asked
the Board of Aldermen to provide
S1,200,000 to maintain them until the
end of the year.
Every available man on the civil
scIvice list, viii! begin trimming in the
Police Department as soon as his cliri-
bility is certified. Thcro arc about
500 men on the list now. Commissioner
Enright said that he could begin their
probationary period to-day and have
them in uniform patrolinc The streets
by the middle Of June.
Hylan Urges Increase
No voice in the Board Of Estimate
was raised to the granting of additional
policemen. Mayor Hylan quickly moved
that the Police Comm ssionor's request
be granted and the other members sun
ported the Mayors motion with srr-
prsIn@ rapidty. The board, however,
was st loss for time to determine
where the money could be found to Dav
the new patrolmen's salaries. Con
'ro!Ier Craig finally promised TO raise
WhateVer money might be necessary,
PROVIDED there was not sufficient fund 6
remaining in the $1,000 900 issue of
special revenue bonds which the Board
OF Aldermen are permitted to issue
during the year for emergencies.
commissioner Enright made a fur
ther request for 100000 for six high
power automobiles for use by the De
tcctlVe Bureau. No funds could be
found immediately available for this.
and Mayor Hylan had the matter laid
over until a special meeting to-day
after his motion to have money in the
Police Departments contingency fund
transferred to its equipment fund was
defegtcd
Calls Force Inadequate
In requesting more mon Commits
sioner Enright said:
"Thc City Of New York has an area
Of 3l4 square miles and there are
$500 miles OF streets which must be
natroled by the uniformed force. and
it is therefore self evident that our
effective patrol force Of 500 is utter
ly Inadequate.
THE police force Of the city Of New
York is probably the smallest police
force pro rata 10 the population Of
any of the great cities Of the world.
For instance. London, city approxi-
matelY the anne size as New York City,
with a homogeneous population and a
far less difficult police problem, con
sists of approximately $4,000 men, or
about one police officer to every 200
n lo4t IA, l.
New York has total force Of Ii 500
mon, or Approximately one policeman
to 5l5 Of the resident population, or
one to about COO Of our daily popula-
! tion, when million transicnts are
taken into consideration.
"The department has handled police
conditions in this city during the
critical period which we have passed
through with commendab:e efficiency,
and the ]awless elements have never
been allowed to get out Of hand.
THE press of this city from time to
time has taken occasion to criticize
the department and to exploit and
glorify criminality in this city, and
they have invited criminals from all
over the world to come to this city.
where they falsely alcge that crime
may be committed with impunitv.
Hundreds of desperate criminals have
stated at Police Headquarters that
they were induced to commit crimes
because the newspapers had advcr-
tlsed that it was easy and safe to
do so.
Blames Out Of Town Talent
"The perpetrators of the crime COM
mitted at the home Of Albert r
Shattuck, l9 Washington Square North,
came from without the city, and this is
true OF large number of criminals
who have recently been captured red
handed in this city.
"The hue and cry which has been
raised by the press OF this CITY from
Tune to time has alarmed the peopIe
and has served to make the work of
the department still more difficult. and
Tor TINS reason, as well as for the rca-
SONS above stated, ] deem it absolutely
necessary that there should be an in
crease in the police force of this citv
so that our citizens may be reassured
as to the safety Of life and property and
remain confident that the department
WI deal efficiently with these condi-
tions t." the fullest extent Of It's re-
sources'
/ The Police Commissioner exn]sincd
that out of the present police force of
i,ooo men, he has only 6,1S7 avail
able for patrol duty. He restored ths
nlne-squad system, he said. so that the
! city streets would be patroIled dailv
! by three shifts Of SOC men each. The
commissioner declared that he would
restore the ten-squad system as soon
as the necessary quota was filled in.
as u was the falrest plan to the police
men. Ihe 1872 men which the Board
OF Estimate granted him, the com
missioner said would be distributed as
: follows 80
'Dehciency in the quota OF men n-o
rata to She population, as compared
with 1918. 7O6
Traffic Division -nequircd to cover
existing posts for which men cannot
be provided. 1871.
raf1ic Division required to cover
! necessary additional costs al danger.
Gus street crossings, 1873.
TO replace fifty patrolmo1 assirneo
to the Health Department. so.
10 provide onc additional oatrol-
man to serve as attcnd,at ct ninctccn
station houses designed as district
prisons where male prisoners arc de-
tained, at each of which stations there
should Dc three patromen assigned in
order thai an eight-hour day may be
established. 81"
Chamber Crowded
Word having got about that the no.
ice situation would be taken IN bv
the Board oi Estimate, the council
chnmb Der was crowded wncn tho board
met. though not on the calendar the