Evening star., 1927-11-13
LONDON'S POLICE
SYSTEM IS LAUDED
Former Police Head Here
Sees Much of Merit in Pol.
iCleS of British Force.
BY FREDERICK A. FENNING.
Former District Commissioner.

A modern police station with indi
Vidual bedrooms for IS unmarried
policemen. For the further enjoy
ment OF these men a library, card
room, billiard room. room for boxing
bouts. gymnasium, shower baths and
a canteen dispensing beer, ale and
other refreshments.
Where?
The American police officer will an
swer promptly: Nowhere"
But such station does exist and /
attended it's formal opening recently
on Snow Hill in the city of London.
Washington has lately built new
station houses in Tenleytown and
BrlghtW ood I was. therefore, inter
ested in what respects they and other
District houses reSembled this new
station in London. The points of like
ness were few; those of difference
many And we in Washington really
believe that our houses and station
methods are adequate, while the Brit.
Usher points to Snow Hill and calls It
the best in the world.
We built two-story buildings, lately
of the bungalow type, while the new
house in London is five stories IN
height and thirty feet in width. IN
Washington an effort has been made
TO have new station houses harmonize
afchitecurally with nearby and ad'
joining buildings and not be unduiy
conspicuous. This effect was proba'
bly, most nearly attained many years
ago when the house for the NTH pre-
cinct was built in the southeast sec.
tion of the city. The same attempt
has been made in London very sue.
cessfully, for the new Snow Hill
building might ca silly be taken for an
apartment house. Bow windows are
on every floor above the ground and
the entire front OF the four upper
floors is devoted to private apartments
for the families of The chief superin-
tendent and the chief inspector. There
are private entrances to each apart
nient on either side of the front door.
Ground Floors Similar.
On the first floor the ground plan
In very similar to that of our stations.
The cells are lined with enamel brick
and contain long, wide benches on
which the prisoners may sleep. Each
prisoner is furnished with leather
pillow and a blanket, two II desired.
Jt prisoner wants bed the gaoler
will make up one upon the payment
of l shilling.
Prisoners are brought to London
stations by the officers who arrest
There are two exceptions to this prac.
tice. One is the drunken man who Is
unable to navigate and who is brought
in on 4 stretcher on wheels. The
other is made when the prisoner Is a
soldier in uniform, since public sentt'
ment will not countenance the sight OF
q soldier in the custody Of policeman
on the highway. A cab is therefore
hired, the fare paid by the police, who
will subsequently be reimbursed by
the military authorities.
From station house to court the
prisoners are taken on foot. Auto.
mobiles. motor cycles and bicycles are
used for patrolling, but the patrol
wagon which performs such varied
and constant duties at our stations IS
not in use in London.
Policemen Get Dinners.
In addition to living in the cfub-lke
atmosphere of the Snow Hill station |
the men are given their dinners. |
Breakfast and tea they prepare them
selves. ! inquired II 1t was reasonanie
10 expect that any officer so housed |
would ever marry and thus forego |
such luxuries. and was told that the |
department made an extra rent al
lowance to all married men.
One point in common in the forces
of the two capitals is the police school
for probationary officers. Snow Hill
conducts such a school, the course
covering three months and in SUD-
stance being very similar TO that con-
Quoted at the seventh precinct IN
Washington under the supervision OF
Sergt. Hunt.
In the District of Columbia there
are four police forces, the Metropoii'
tan, Capitol White House and Park
Police; while London has but two,
namely the city police and the Metro
politan police.
Heart Of London Force.
"The city" as it is called to distin-
guish it from the district Of London,
covers a small area in the very heart
OF London. The city force mas aoout
/ 600 men and is directed by a COM
missioner elected by the city council,
with the approval of the King. He
holds office until he reaches the age
Of retirement. All officers and men
are retired at 65, except under some
special circumstances, when active
service may be extended for not over
five years.
The Metropolitan police, $1,000
strong. cover all of London and out
living sections except the small area
of the city. The minimum helsht OF
these men is feet 8 inches; in the
citv police it is 5 feet 10. In Washing.
ton the minimum height is feet q
inches. The entrance pay for both
London forces is lin United States
currency s.. 90 a day, which IS exactly
one.half the pay OF a probatloner IN
the District of Columbia. To be sure.
the London policeman receives small
rent allowance, but his pay Is subject
10 a deduction for the retirement FUND.
The London officer, as Is now the case
in Washington, receives an allowance
for uniforms, and in addition he ts
given an allowance for keeping his
boots in repair.
Traffic in London is entirely con-
trolled by the policemen. There are
no light signals or other automatic
traffic controls. From my own close
personal observation j am far from be.
lievinR that the regulation OF traffic in
London would be improved by the IN.
stallation of automatic devices. In
the last analysis, machine is ma.
chine and lacks the human element.
IT is this human element as exempli-
fed by the quiet, alert and intelligent
policemen that keeps the enormous
traffic OF such city as London on the
move. OF course, the officers are aid.
ed by regulations which prohibit
downtown parking and otherwise limit
parking 10 two hours save in certain
outlying sections, where a maximum
of four hours is allowed. incidentally,
these regulations dispose of the ques.
ton Of all-nght parking, since four
hours is the outside limit.
Cruising Is Banned.
Cruising Of vacant taxicabs is re.
garded as an unnecessary use OF the
public thoroughfares and An interfer.
ence with traffic--so is prohibited, the
occasional violator promptly arrested.
Honking Of horns Is considered an un'
necessary noise and only permissible
an an emergency