6 JUN 1885. Austin Daily Statesman.
AN INQUIRY ANSWERED. City Marshal Lee on the Austin Police System.
Yesterday a reporter was accosted by Grooms Lee, city marshal, in reference to a short article in Thursday’s Statesman which contained a number of questions as to the disposition of the police force.
“It is very true as the writer says, that I can dispose of the police as I see fit,” said the marshal. The writer says further that the policemen “are now used in the neighborhoods of saloons, gambling houses, and houses of prostitution.” this is also true to a certain extent, and the necessity of it ought to be apparent to any man of sense. So that needs no reply. To the question “Why keep two or three policemen on duty at the market house or calaboose, who act as clerks, etc.” I have to say that only two policemen are on duty there, who relieve each other every twelve hours. Somebody must be there to look after the prisoners, mind the city property, make out the charges and do other duties that need not be specified in detail.
“Why keep so many men on the Avenue and on Pecan street?”
This inquiry displays the ignorance of the writer. Only one policeman is stationed on each of the streets mentioned. The business interests of the city are centered there and the vast amount of property involved must be watched. Two men are insufficient for the task, but we have only two for the work.
Out writer further wants to know why not place men about the suburbs and catch the villains that are depredating among the servants?
I will state for his benefit that there are only twelve policemen, including the clerk, at the station, and one the boss of the street gang. This leaves ten men for active duty, five of whom serve half of the twenty-four hours and the other five the remainder. Now how can so small a force guard a city the size of Austin? He says place them on the suburbs. Very well. Put one man on Robinson Hill, another in Wheatville, a third in Masontown, a fourth in the First Ward, and who have you go guard the heart of the city?
The truth is, the number of men is entirely too small. There should be at least one policeman to every 500 inhabitants. This is the proportion allowed by our city law. Austin has at least 17,000 people and on that basis would be entitled to thirty-four policemen. We have but little over one-third that many.
In conclusion Marshal Lee said: “I try to do the best I can with the few men under my control. That I have too few, with which to properly guard the city, every man who will give the subject the least attention, is bound to admit. The fault is not with the men. They are assigned to certain beats and are expected to stay on them. The trouble is the force is too small.”
