New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-06-09
WORLD ON PARADE
At Police station
Passes Daily Before Officer in
Charge Of Desk

10 be mild and peaceful, but human
nature in all its forms parades be-
fore the officer in charge at police
headquarters. There is no clock to
register the hour. no calendar to
specify the day or date when crime
shall be committed. nor is there any
arrangement by which the man on
watch can foretell the moment he is
10 be faced with the problem of a
lost child, a missing man or woman.
serious accident, minor breach
nation bearing on all subjects hav-
ing the remotesr connection with the
city. state or national governments.
He is expected to be behind the
desk, ready for action. submissive
10 the demands of the public of
which he is an important part. and
The pleasant callers and irate COM
claimants alike look TO him for
service, regardless whether he
would rather be left to his routine
duties for a few moments or
whether by the greatest stretch of
Interpretation OF the rules govern
trg his office, he could not be
rcasonahly expected to know the
answer to some Of the queries which
IRE shot at him.
Gases start Early
At s o'clock in the morning he
may pick up the telephone and hear
the report of a mysterious crime.
Immediately. he must take charge
OF the Investigation. There arc
policemen to be directed, other de-
rartments to be notified and numer-
out details to be attended to, none
of them capable of being neglected
Cor an instant, lest the handling of
the case be bunglcd in manner
that would reflect discredit on the
department in general and on the
man in charge in particular. Yet
probably before he has had a change
10 assemble his thoughts, he hears
the door open and man OF the
crowd is admitted. He knows
nothing Of the sensational murder
and probably viii never care much
about il, either. For the time being
his principal concern is the con-
tinual trespassing on his property
on the outskirts of the city. He
pays taxes and he expects police
protection, but the boys in the
neighborhood trample down his
garden and spoil his rose bushes
and he never sees a policeman when
he needs one. That is why he made
it his business to stop in on his way
to work this particular morning
and as he has half an hour to spare
before the whistle sounds. he is de-
sirous Of going into the details of
his case at great length. And all
the officer in charge has on his
mind is a murder shrouded in mys-
terry
Missing Children
Two or three children take the
notion to wander away from the
street on which they live. and are
gone before their mothers miss
them. Half an hour passes and
thss do not return to their homes
Call the police. The man at the
desk must take the report, doing
his best TO spell the complicated
names which are even more diff
cult to understand on account of
the nervousness and excitement of
the mothers. and assure all con-
cerned that the children Will be
found in due time. This duty done.
he faces a stranger who would like
10 know lust what the New Britain
ordinances cover IN the way of
peddlers' licenses. and whether or
not there is anything in the state
statutes forbidding thus a
fellow beside him understands that
the legislature changed some laws
on which the information is sought,
and he was confident that the cap
tain could enllghten him. The tele-
phone Interrupts and the party on
the other end wants TO know
whether or not It is legal and law
ful for a Connecticut resident to
operate a Massac husetts registered
car on Connecticut license, and on
being told would like TO be further
informed as to the ruling in Yer
mont. Maine and New Hampshire
relative to the time limit for opera
ting out of state automobiles with
out taking out state registrations.
also in whose name such-and such
an automobile IL registered
Turning aHay from the telephone
with Il man in custody. What is
it, h asks, We'll, these fellows
claim they have permission to So