228 The New York Police Force 



would be punished with the utmost rigor if they in- 

 terfered with honest citizens on the one hand, or 

 failed to prevent fraud and violence on the other. 

 The result was that the elections of 1895 an d 1896 

 were by far the most honest and orderly ever held 

 in New York City. 



There were a number of other ways in which 

 we sought to reform the police force, less important, 

 but nevertheless very important. We paid particu- 

 lar heed to putting a premium on specially meritori- 

 ous conduct, by awarding certificates of honorable 

 mention, and medals, where we were unable to pro- 

 mote. We introduced a system of pistol practice 

 by which, for the first time, the policemen were 

 brought to a reasonable standard of efficiency in 

 handling their revolvers. The Bertillon system for 

 the identification of criminals was introduced. A 

 bicycle squad was organized with remarkable results, 

 this squad speedily becoming a kind of corps d' elite, 

 whose individual members distinguished themselves 

 not only by their devotion to duty, but by repeated 

 exhibitions of remarkable daring and skill. One 

 important bit of reform was abolishing the tramp 

 lodging-houses, which had originally been started 

 in the police stations, in a spirit of unwise philan- 

 thropy. These tramp lodging-houses, not being 

 properly supervised, were mere nurseries for pauper- 

 ism and crime, tramps and loafers of every shade 

 thronging to the city every winter to enjoy their 

 benefits. We abolished them, a municipal lodging- 

 house being substituted. Here all homeless wan- 



