LONDON POLICE.

NZ Truth, Issue 68, 6 October 1906, Page 7

LONDON POLICE.

..m\,m-.m 9m Tourists having occasion to enlist thw i serviced 61 _Übnflbny"cbftktables,' , >"if only, ito inquire the way to "some "point pf" interest, 'find them, aU a rule, intelligent and-wellvposted; says a New York exchange. ' •'■•_•' ■■'•■'-'--■■■' GUIDE BOO^S. Most of the London police are walking guide books "to points' of interest. Th fey know the history of the city and the location of "its famous -places ; 'they can direct one to - the residence of a living celebrity" or to a quaint nook "'inunor-i talised by Dickens- And yet these men are woefully underpaid. Upon joining the force, the recruit 'must be content with a salary /6f £66 '-'_ year, arid ' ■'"__ 't^-is '_ only aftei? -a : considerable 1 terni : bf service that Uo ' 'redeives' his iniiximum wage^of £.92. The TJ„y "of New York patrolmen ranges ir6m £180< at the beginning, to £280; a-'year;v ■-'■'„ ." _. ■ .. . •'■ -A y New York roundsman gets £300; a sergeant, £-400; a captain, £s^o; and the chief' inspector; JBIOOO. ' Upon the Londori force a' sergeant,- corresponding with a' roundsman, gets £158; an ; inspector, correspbri_lng with a' New York sergeant, £346; ' '•"■'■' .-■■■•■' - -.-";'- : : " ' • Superintendents, corresponding with captains on this side of the •' water, get £425, and the chief constable, or- head of the force, receives £800. 'The difference between '■■ the pay ol the officers' is "riot so great -as • between '* the men in' the YankS on opposite : sides of the ocean. It costs .London taxpayers' £1,§66,223 a year' -to maintain .the police forc.e, ot which, amount £1,450,813 is poliT for salaries.- '; 'Uriwillingriess. to increase, this tax; rather than 'lack oi^appreciation of 'services^-rerideredj is '--the., obstacle '.'Bbbby'' encounters 'in' seeking larger, compensation, fbr 'his 1 /', work'.- ' ?.'' ■ ; " * '"■'' '"*' •'-.* .■"}' 14,129 "BOBBIES" On yp^cembe'r' 3l,' 1904— the latest' date to which - published statistics ha\je. been .brought— the strength of-cLoudon's : police, force' Was 31 superintendents, 539 inspectors> 2148 sergeants, arid 14,129 ( .constables^ or patrolmen. ""■■'•_, •Five superintendents, 52 inspectors, 229. sergearits, and"iß27' constables were erapfoj<ed c bri special > duties ' in' connection, with various government departments. The remainder of the. force looked after public 'welfare m the -usual jnanriferi ..:■■"''. JJach member of the force is granted - one * day -oft ' duty eacii foi-triight,' , gi> that orie-fourteeiith of the eiitire tfofce is% con- ' staritl'y on" leave." Of course a riurixber of men ; are ' always aw_y "bri sitk leave m - additiorij the : average number being 471' a. day. '•'■''■ .-. - '•• " • '"' .'-'", The men of the force work tight hours a day. : They guard the greatest .city, m the %orld.- ;i The district to be protected extends over, a radius pf 15 miles t from Charing Gross, .ana /included. " '699.43 flquar^"niiles , .'-' ? ' ' >: ' •■"'•,' _-'•"■. - This ' area ; is exclusive of the old , section shown m the city- of London proper, j which consists of . one square mile m th» ■ hßaH -of the. great gathering, df hiynanity: It has; a population of ; 28;8,47,,: and under the Lord Mayor 1 has its bwn separate .and complete city government tend its' own- politfe! " • f •"' - ' All the- remainder of the metropolis ia comprised of 20 or more ' Separate cities, each' with its own ' Mayor, ■■: representative councils, and other municipal officials, tout) filly'tog-ether 'constitutiiie that part co'bimonly knoWn as Lobdptt. " '■These -different municipal coThmunities, h6Wev£r, -have n.o, control, over tlie ■ police that gua^'d;' tHeir streets. The Metropolitan Force, as it is called, is difectpd by th-a national ' government, through the ; office *br the Hbirie Secretary. • "It is' a tho"fbughlyy§fiicie'nt and honest • force.*' There are no "' : ; police- scandals. Drunkenness, is punished by' dismissal.. ' Stririfeent 'rules.- . regulate' financial dealings "between pbliceirien and the public, so*' that '''Bobby'"' promptly pays his 'debts: "'■'•'" '"''''• *•■■•.■• ■>. ,_■-"■■ ■ '.. .' ~'o -';■*•'- WILL ACCEPT TIES. ' ■„ . • '. Not only' ; is' ho prohibited irom taking 'money from a saloon-keeper, out he'eanriot borrow frora the keeper- ; of a public- . house. ■-.'•■ •■■• ■"<■■ Visitors to London have noticed that 'moat' policeineri accept tips.' : '' lf ..'you ask hfta : '*h6wy best ' to' .proceed >to soine' f point of 'interest ""and reward 'his" courteously given iniprinitlbn with' a shilling, he will touch his' helmet and thank you. Willingness to accept tips 'is scarcely surprising ■iff ihetr who' ntay' be compelled* to support families on £92 a" year. ' ■'•■ ; '" For more important service rend.ered vpluritaTrily or"' m th^' ' discharge 61" diity. tbifere ■is." ni "cl-is's of rewards; but' the general T practice x 'in tM force is to report to Headquarters Such rewards as have been giyeh : and secure-, permission ■ to -retain themf '-'"y. I '^constable, or patrolman, instrumental' 'm siving life m a street accident, is Expected -to' report the reward, if "■'one ia __ivaiiO' ] Aa' ft "gerieraa - thirig', ' the police.nSan^'is allowed to- keep the reward; but . he -carincTt receive kniything from ' people m the community which he is employed to watch. "*lp 'such c^ses he is supposed tb 5 ba -doing, only his plain arid paid duty., ;%! •<y ,'y GOOD, SENiSE;:, _ . Good' senser and' Vole'ratipn mark the Conduct of' the London pbirceiriari. ' These cofaseVvators tol,-'la.w and order are seen at their best m the. management of holi-* day crowcis; when there are jubilee pi-o-cesstoha "iii brilliant town shows arid Wh^a ■' unnecessary", harshness or insolent dfders might ittclte riots"."' J ' l ! T*»"' ppliceinen do^iioiEhing to irritate a ■crowd that is- disptised tp be good nature'd.- look' on and seldom give or[deirs ; when they do, it is 'done courteously L ai^d b^ttletlyj- The police know the temper 'of ■ a : London -crowd - -, eind' seldbmt , -get but of Bannorijr^with it. '- •* ;"' ; "' } ' *?Bobby^' earns his" slender pay for his alertness m preventing crime ; arid his sua* cess" ; itf btirigirig';"' oEfericlers " to justice.; Fewer 'murdei?&V* in ' proportion "to pp"p_latibn^ gd ''• unpunished' ih -Loridon 'prpba.blir itikn- ariywhere> else in 1 tbe'^lvllizeSSvorld,while other offences are held-.in check- to. a "'■:'' commendable : ■ degree; isonsidering the vast- territory of crdw/ied hririianity m which ,ma!y become lost. "'"":- ■: ' soMe figures. During -1904 number^ of persons ar-i rested' iri Lorid6ri ; f br. ' kll bffemdes •■• • was i'2'6,'580. ' Of these; 3167 wire "convicted in' the Criminal bburts, 101,4-28 were, convicted-- by- -Magistrates-,-^Ll9_^were acquiti ted, and 21,817- were dis-oiissed by Magis-: trates." "'y 'y " '"* ..''''o'- ;.';'■ "The pro u.vtion, pf felonies to t each 1000 of'-the ,poi«-. atiblwas -2^98. The- value J 6f.. property '• stolen -decreased *in/Kt9o4"' ove^ i 140,-OOOdols: iTom the figures " bfHhe. pre-t viotis year.- --' A>. considerable purn, m the aggregate, was save_ "the/ public m the way of" re- , - cbvery •of lost property; Found m pulu ! lie -conveyances, -52,131 articles, * which 'wfere'-tkkeh.- to headquarters' to await i-iJliiiriarits. - -■- -.•'■y'V-v..' '•-, The v -nrimber of fatal accidents m the streets bf London has decreased of re-!-cent years, notwithstandihg ' the iricreaso ■}.ot_' population' arid -m the number of visitors, ' 'bothy from the English."pr ovinces t arid frorri' foreign countries: ■ "•' ' -hiring" 1904 yth-e". number of policemen : injured while" iri the discharge _f'- their ; duties' reached 3054: Of; these; 34§ were • out" of . Service longer tha'ri a week." For ' its size, 'Londbri ' is remarkably free "from* serjou,V crime. There v_re"pickpbc--1 .kets— S4ud6nts of * the' Fagatt 5 type— arid sdea"k thfeves; m plenty ; but-" the -habit -of dieting - J out swift -. justice • discourages • greater crime. »' • During 1901 there were reported, rrom •a population of over 0,000,000 people^ • only 24 murdets. ".-._ ■'■"•:'.''.' Sixteen" of "liK'ese mnfderers were tried, ;and •nearly' tfl.P -"convicted.- • -£8x -_66-Ss_ed persons'* cOmnrit ted 'suicitfe, • <me"eefcapi4d, arid the jotfcefc- a vroiiiau,- was not-.*l>rOße-'Cuted, i9Wij^ :to- the'; peculiar , coridi'tiona b^'th^casji-;^'..^;. '--.•. O ' : ' V/ .v;" .-'y' ; ; In ' 1904;" . t)ter.e : . were;. ,lor«} , reported.' Twelve bf'these ''wer? ".Vd'H , e}il_etl J ."'.''aiid _i cbnvitted.- • Altotrbthei' 1 ' tHtro' w6h) 20,372.'c1iarg-es -of spinous '.^fime- brougiit to the attentioii. i>f,'.tho v authorities. ->Xlf these^.l4;4Si l -' i^rsolii?y.wevfy^vetited, dtwi 10.380 . were-' conv ; icte.(|. v >- .' y ' ■*; ■ ! "'. : ' 'JR ;■].:■:. ■ -_■' :'• -„-'" ' •' ;''■'.