Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-11

vehicles are all matters of guesswOrk with the
different departments. Practical experience has
not disclosed which are the preferable systems
for the average city of 100000. Science now
seeks to answer these stubborn conundrums.
Washington, for illustration, employs motor
cycles and automobiles as patrol vehicles, while
many OF the United States park policemen ride
bicycles. The moot question Of transportation
demands accurate solution, even as does that
Of police weapons and means Of keeping in
communication with headquarters. The beat
Is the unit of police distribution. But the size
Of the beat varies in different cities almost
as much as the weather. Some districts de-
mand patrol once every hour, while In others
the passage of the policeman once every two
hours is Sufficient to maintain proper respect
for the law and to control tendencies to Illegal
actions.
The ordinary London policeman carries no
weapon other than his baton. Picture the
average American "cop," patrolling tough
metropolitan district without his six gun" In
one prominent English city where the patrolmen
carry no weapons, the beats of standard
size and the patrol is made entirely on foot.
At night, however, the foot patrol is reinforced
by supplementary cruising" officers in autemo-
biles.
The police recall devices are Of variegated
type. Some cities employ bells at the alarm
boxes others use horns, while still others fea-
ture central sirens at the different station
houses. Other municipalities employ red and
green light signals for recall. Ten cities have
harnessed radio for recall. What system is the
best and why? How long does it take to recall
the men from their beats? Which method
Is most efficient and economical? The Vollmec
investigators will study them all and answer
this inquiry in the future with definite factS.
Communication between the man on his beat
and his superior at headquarters well as
communication between the central office and
the widely scattered patrolmen, demand detailed
scientific study-and improvement, II possible
One system of telephone communication
which is now used popularity has from 10 to IL
outlying signal points connected in series with
the precinct headquarters. If one Of these boxes
gets out of order, they all may develop into
communication blanks" for the time being.
Under which conditions riot calls and similar
appeals of the patrolman for aid would be in
effective The solution of this series hook-up
problem is now had in the equipment of each
patrol box with pair of special wires. This
procedure, however, is a costly expedient.
Prof. Volmer at this time does not seek new
systems of communication as to the permanent
answer to all these puzzles He and his aides
are trying to increase the reliable effectiveness
of the devices now in use. Research seeking
new communication methods will be undertaken
in the future Detailed reports of this and all
other branches of the unique research will be
distributed to all interested American cities
as available. The University of Chicago is
merely using its organization and replete sci-
entific corps to assemble and interpret the fun.
damental facts of this extensive study of police
administration. BY painstaking comparisons,
it seeks to prove which controversial means,
measures and methods are the best
It Is Prof Vollmer's personal opinion that
the police Of coming years will play leading
roles in welfare work. The "bluecoats" are in
variably the first who come in direct contact
with the erring boy or girl. Here, there and
elsewhere throughout the world, police chief
tians and their subordinates are even now enc
gagged in this youth salvage campaign seeking
to divert juvenile fio,Sam from the crooked TO
the straight path C: proper living