The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-31
CHICAGO HASBOY COPS FOR PARKS
Excellent Results Pro- cured In Preserving Or
 der On Fairgrounds

Following a period of several months training, six hundred Chicago school boys have taken up their duties as junior playground police, writes Robert H. Moulton ill the Boston Transcript.
 At public ceremony recently they received their badges from municipal officers and took the oath of alleg- lance to their respective schools. The purposes of the junior police, says Charles H. English, supervisor of, play grounds, who was responsible for the unique organization, is to give boys a porject in citizenship to work out for themselves. The boys will not have the power to arrest, but they will be responsible for the protection of play ground property and of boys and girls at play. .s
 Tn the sixty-one playgrounds adja- cent to public schools and on school property in Chicago, there is no police protection" MT. English said. 'In any playground the problem of property damage, intimidation by the rougher element, and similar abuses, is always present. It is one of the annoyances that add to the difficulty of the play ground director. Moreover, it is prac- tically impossible to apprehend the cul- prits.
 The Use of the Police
 The junior police were organized, in part, for the purpose of eliminating this problem. Nine leaders were selected at each playground and organized into il police squad, with one outstanding leader as seargeant. In this way we corral the boys who know what is going on, and through whom we can influence the boy life ot the neighborhood. Eleven picked officers of the junior R. 0. T. U. are acting as officers of the junior police force, the major cadet of Lane High school being the chief of police. The city has been divided into districts. with an R. o. T. c. lieutenant in charge. The total force comprises 570 boys. All officers have gold-plated police shields and the patrolmen silver plated ones." VI
 The junior playground police have two uses. They help keep order in the playground; actual order, like stoppine quarrels and nagging, keeping boys in tnelr turn in various games. makinc them stick to, the rules, stopning den' gerous practices in play, and so on Their second duty is to assume Iaod ershlp in all activities in the nIav- ground. '"e PlaV- The playground director calls a++er- tion to the school squad and onti;,,n. ms plan. The junior police ronnd ,,o the ooys and girls in the neiehborbood to taKe part if necessary, and are on lahd to help keep an overentbusiost;a crowd within bounds. Thus tbe rIor- ground director has as his sss;st s ts at all times nine dependable JoYo1 organized leaders, who noIice .hs grounds and aid in the organizo4;H's ue ahd operation of all activities '-oAi
 Putting Boys On Law's Slide
 1here Is still third obiective in oil this-civic training the inn;oy nn ,i,S ali sIouna police get, through their own ;Aperience' sympathetic understand 4ns or tne policeman's duty. They see tne ulItlculty of law enforcement. tbe need or fair play, protection of tbe Meak and a due regard for property Itghts and the privileges of others. Thus tne noys' entrusted with police resnon. slpHltles, gain respect for the law which, 1t Is believed, they will carry over into adult life.
 The Knot-Hole club was established several years ago by the presidents of tne two major league baseball clnbs in Ohlcago; During the summer vacation several hundred boys and girls from fine Chicago playgrounds are the invited guests each week of the league clubs, To be a member of the Knot-Hole clnb boy or girl must have won special dis tinction for the week in some form of work on the playgrounds. This form of reward for special effort is doing away with medals, ribbons and the like. The junior police are permanent members of the knot-Hole club. The others may change from week to week.
 That there is a powerful appeal to the average boy in the distinction that