JUVENILE POLICE.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13493, 12 June 1914, Page 8

JUVENILE POLICE.

THEIR DUTIES

One of the most interesting of moral reform movements at present being tested at New York (writes the coi respondent of the Auckland "Star") is that of juvenile police.

Ten thousand boys and five thousand girls, constituting the Juvenile Police Force of the East Side Protective Association, are now engaged in the work of cleaning up that section of the city physically and morally, and according to Harry H. Schlacht, superintendent of the association, whose headquarters are at 1 Avenue B, they are as efficient a set of police as ever pounded the flags or chased evil down the fire escapes and far away.

The East Side Protective Association lias, under the direction of Mr. Schlacht, been vigorously combating the evil influences of the East Side for three years in an effort to regenerate its young and to raise its general standard. Within the past few months the boys and girls have been enlisted in the work and systematically organised into a police force whose business it is to spy out what is evil and unsanitary and report to the association, which immediately proceeds to remedy the condition.

For the purposes of the work the East Side has been divided into precincts with senior officers in charge. Each boy and girl is given a fixed post in his or her precinct, and each "cop" is held responsible for conditions existing on his post. The boy must see that the foodstuffs in the grocery stores, candy shops and stands on his post are sold under sanitary conditions, and he must report each violation to his superior officer. The association then deals directly with the offending merchant in an effort to correct the evil; if that is unavailing a complaint, is made to the Health Department.

The boy must also see that the fire escapes are unobstructed and that the alleys are kept free and clean from rubbish. Ho sees to it that garbage cans are kept covered, and notifies the janitors to deposit rubbish where it is easily accessible to the drivers. Every evening the boys come around with waggons and cart the rubbish to the East river.

One of the most important aims of the association has been the eradication of the cigarette evil. Mr. Schlacht says that it is no uncommon thing for boys of 5 and 6 years to be seen smoking cigarettes. A cigarette squad of the juvenile police force has been organised to report the names of these purveyors of tobacco to children. About 400 places have been discovered, and the association, with the aid of its boys and the assistance of detectives from the city Police Department, is trying to clean them out, although repeatedly warned by the vendors and their representatives to keep their hands off.