New-York tribune., 1922-04-07
700 PatroI1l,en
Ia Band, Cafes,
Saws Ex-Official
tContinuo6 from pses one,

that he SAYS has characte gizod the
present police stewardship. The con
d'tion is further aggravated by the
Lack of discipline in the departments
he asserted. "Enright having made The
men clock Watchers"
at may seem strange to the average
citizen" No added. "that out Of 1900
men employed in the Police Department
only about 2.100 arc actually employed
IN patrolling tho streets Of our five
boroughs to protect life and property
There should be about 2 800 men doing
THIS. but the Commissioner is not
using the men as he should. At least
a fourth OF them are being employed
FOR purposes that have nothing what
ever to do with police work.
Ever since Mayor Hylan came into
Office the department has been turned
into moving picture show. The Mayor
promised when elected that tho police
would perform no duties other tGan
police duties They do morc odd jobs
now than ever in the history OF lhe
department. know what an King
.ng about.
There ar" The so-caled police
games. For an entire month 7O0 rne-
are taken oG the force to prcparc for
F, these events. a large part Of tho rest
of the force spends months N advance
selling tickets for these games in a
Rouse to house canvass and holding up
traffic all over the city. The proceeds
of these games go to private charity.
Yet the Taxpayer pays the salaries OF
| these nen. Why docs the District At
/ torney permit this? Ii is neglect Of
duty under the regulations governing
thc mmissioncr's administration.
ihcn there are scores Of men oc-
cupied almost continually with a pleo
club. brass band, hall teams. atl1lct-
lcs, parades, funerals OF friends aud
other such affairs. At The Home Bu
! reau Service at least thirty men have
{ SOFT berths selling groceries to police
mems wives and families.
Again, while the citizens property
rs being plundered and persons arc he
ing held up right and left about 500
men sit idly around in cafes and rooms
Of one kind or another pretending 10
prevent card games. think there are
| enough men IN the department to make
| the city safe for lts inhabtants Hold
ups arc taking place because the men
are not out on the streets
he elimination OF station houses
Toe, has len2thened the beats of A large
number Of men and takes UP large
part OF their time getting to and iron,
their posts, necessarily leaving sub
.'@' {" "'cH9 unprotected TOY periods
o. time. Formerly a policeman had
only tour or five blocks to patrol. Now
he must tour about sixteen. Because
OF the politics played by the present
adninistration and prevalent system
OF favoritism. the morale of the men
has been all shot to pieces
There arc undoubtedly 1000 police-
men in church every Sunday. OF these
1t Is reasonable to estimate that about
one-thlrd constitute pstrolrnen who
should be on their beats. This may
exp lain why it is possible for such
rohberies as the Shattuck affair in
Washington Square last Sunday to take
place IN broad daylight.
Things will become worse as sum
mer comes on. During this time of
year the policemen go on their vaca-
tions, taking about 10 per cent Of the
force away from their posts. In add-
tlon large number OF men have to
be assigned to seashore duty, further
decreasing the force in Manhattan and
the Bronx. I tell you the citizens Of
the city have something to think
about"