Prohibition must have been total hell to enforce upon the people of the United States. Special officers were brought in, men who were not recognizable to the area, and people were searched under the guise of searching for weapons in case they were carrying a hip flask. Keeping people “dry” was a serious problem back in the 1920s.
Police to Frisk Citizens’ Hips for New Year Flasks
Dylan Issues Drastic Order to Enright to Make Holiday Dry
If New York doesn’t encounter the driest New Year’s Even it has ever known, it will not be the fault of Mayor Hylan, the police and the Federal Prohibition forces. Because all these have combined, after various and sundry conferences, to make the freedom of violators of the liquor law a perilous thing.
Mayor Hylan and Commissioner Enright have prepared a plan for enforcement which had been given to Chief Inspector Lahey and by him transmitted today in a conference with his subordinate Inspectors which will permit the police to search citizens for pocket flasks.
The searching will be conducted in the guise of “frisking” suspects for concealed weapons. And if the hip flask comes to light during the operation the toter will be arrested immediately.
The orders for strict enforcement came from Mayor Hylan after he had received reports of young girls being left to wander intoxicated about the streets of Greenwich Village last New Year’s Eve. That quarter is to be watched this year with the faithfulness of a cat at a mouse hole.
Not only is the uninformed force to be out in all its available numbers, but detectives in street clothes will be distributed about the neighborhoods in which the police expect the most action on the part of the resellers.
Broadway, particularly that part of it in which the well known restaurants and hotels are situated, will come in for extra surveillance. Detectives will be everywhere. The Inspectors have been notified by Chief Lahey that they will be held personally responsible for any arrests in their districts which are made from Headquarters or by Federal agents.
Prohibition Director Yellowley has made careful preparations for New Year’s Eve. It is said that he has imported a large squad of agents from Washington who are not known in this city and are to be sent to the restaurants and hotels as guests.
“Hereafter all places in which violations of the law have occurred and in which cases there have been convictions will be served with court injunctions,” Mr. Yellowley said today. “And upon their conviction of breaking the law they will be closed tight for a year and a day.
“I am going to make a strong effort to keep this city dry on New Year’s Eve, and the following day. I have had a conference with Police Commissioner Enright, and he has assured me of the hearty cooperation of himself and his policemen.
“If any one has liquor for New Year, let him drink it at home before he starts out for the evening’s festivities, because if he is caught drinking it in any public place he will surely be arrested.”
The first of the court injunctions were served today on saloonkeepers who have violated the liquor law, and now if they violate it again their places will be closed for a year and a day. There are 300 saloons on Mr. Yellowley’s list and the remaining ones will be served as rapidly as possible.
Source: The Evening World (New York City, NY newspaper). December 30, 1922.
