No keeper, having been instructed to occupy a post or beat, shall leave the same until he is regularly relieved by another keeper, except by special orders from a superior officer, or except it is clearly necessary, and only for so long a time as may be necessary, in order to secure an offender.

No keeper shall bring, receive or drink ardent spirits when on the Park, and no keeper shall frequent taverns or tippling houses, or become intoxicated when off the Park.

No keeper shall intentionally or knowingly screen, nor, unless prevented by special or more important duty, neglect to apprehend or report, any offender, of whom he may have knowledge, against the laws, or against the ordinances of the Board of Commissioners of the Central Park, or against the rules for the government of those employed in the construction of the Park, and no man shall conceal or attempt to conceal any neglect of duty or disobedience of orders or rules, either by himself or by any other keeper or officer of the Park.

Any keeper who shall act in disregard of the above prohibitions shall, at the end of the half-day on which the act of disregard occurred, cease to exercise the duties, to occupy the station and to wear the uniform of a keeper of the Central Park; and if he [shall] continue to occupy such station, wear such uniform and perform such duties, he shall not be entitled to pay for the same, and any claim he shall make for remuneration for services as a keeper of the Park from the date of his neglect of these prohibitions shall be deemed fraudulent; provided, however, that if he shall faithfully, truly and honestly write, without unnecessary delay, to the Superintendent of the Park, stating fully the circumstances under which such neglect of duty occurred, and the reasons for it, and the Superintendent shall see fit thereupon to order him again on duty as a keeper of the Park, he shall thereafter again be entitled to pay.

Unless otherwise specially required, each man when on patrol duty shall preserve himself and his garments clean and neat, and in accordance with the special orders as to uniform and dress; he shall be seriously attentive to his duty, and not place himself in a position where vigilance and watchfulness are impracticable, but shall carry himself erect, according to the instructions received[220] at drill, and march at a quick step from one part of his beat to another, except when it is necessary to move slowly or to halt entirely for the observation required in his duty, or for the detection or apprehension of offenders. He shall not converse with those employed on the Park unless necessarily, and only so far as is necessary with regard to their duty or his own duty. He shall not converse with visitors unless first addressed by them, and only for the purpose of giving such information as they may require with regard to the Park. He shall not stand at one point or in one part of his beat more than five minutes at a time in conversation with any visitor or party of visitors. He shall use no profane language, or harsh, exasperating or unnecessary disrespectful language, in the execution of duty, but shall as far as possible preserve a quiet, reserved and vigilant manner. When he sees occasion to warn, instruct or order any persons on the Park, he shall do so, as far as possible, kindly and respectfully.

In all other respects, he shall observe and be governed by the rules and customs of subordination and discipline usual in military organizations so far as he shall be instructed in the same.

Sergeants on duty are forbidden to speak to or with the men, except on matters of their duty. Men on duty are forbidden to speak to sergeants or other men, except on matters of their duty.

Men on duty intending to address a sergeant, an officer, or another man on duty, will first salute him by raising a hand to the front of the cap, without bending the neck or body. This formality is intended as a check upon intercourse which might otherwise lead to neglect of duty. It is in all cases to be returned, and neglect to return the salute is to be considered not only a personal affront but a disregard of the habits of discipline required by the Board, and is to be reported in a special report to the Superintendent.

A sergeant or an acting sergeant is to be constantly at the office on office duty. The duty of the office-sergeant, besides that of drilling the men as may be specially ordered, and besides his general duties as sergeant, shall be to receive and record complaints, to record arrests, to give information to any calling for it, to prevent persons without business from remaining at the station, to prevent any one but keepers, the house-keeper or door-men and officers of the Park from entering the keepers’ room, to prevent keepers from lounging in the office, to prevent excessive noise in the keepers’ room, to watch the clock and see that all duties are punctually performed so far as the station is concerned, and that every man is prepared in time for his regular duties; to see that reports are properly and punctually made, and especially to see that no keeper leaves the keepers’ room for any purpose, unless he is off duty, without being perfectly clean, hair brushed, beard combed or evidently shaven within twenty-four hours, and in full uniform in every particular, cloth clean, brass polished, shoes clean and newly oiled or polished, coat buttoned to the neck and no white collar visible, gloves clean. Keepers or acting keepers not uniformed are to be inspected in all other particulars except those of the uniform. No keeper is to be allowed to remain in[221] the office, or to pass through it, or to go out at the outer door on any duty, who has not been inspected, and who has not passed inspection satisfactorily. Keepers off duty are not to be allowed to pass out wearing any part of their uniform.

If the sergeant on office duty is under a necessity to leave the office, and no other sergeant is ready to relieve him, he shall appoint a keeper to act in his place, who shall perform all the above described duties of office sergeant, and be respected as office sergeant until relieved by a sergeant.

Whenever there are two or more keepers of the reserve at the station, one shall be constantly ready in all respects for any duty, and shall be in the office, and a second shall be dressed and ready at once to take the place of the first if he should, while waiting, be required to leave the office, but the sergeant may permit the second to be in the keepers’ room. This duty shall be taken in turn by each man. The first shall be called the “Office-Keeper,” and the second the “Office Relief.” When the “office-keeper” is relieved, the next man in turn shall immediately dress, and within two minutes report himself for inspection to the office sergeant as the office relief. The office-keeper may read, but shall not fall asleep, or smoke, or enter into conversation with anyone while on this duty. The Office relief, while in the keepers’ room, need be under no constraint, except as to wearing his entire body-uniform. He may remove his cap and gloves after inspection, putting them on again when called to relieve the office-keeper.