New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-01
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
POLICE DECENTRALIZATION.

BROOKLYN POLICE DECENTRALIZATION.
,oNnrc-r OF THE DETECTIVES SHARPLY CRITICISED.
The investigation into the conduct OF the
p,ooklyn detectives was carried on yesterday with
closed doors Nearly all the detectives at Headquarters
were placed upon the witness stand ana " u ""ue
x,ood that the suspicious OF Messrs Folk and Oor"n
iupcating Detective Corr in irregularities were I'M
founded and the result of MISUNDERSTANDING "0
result will be made public to-day
TRIBUNE reporter had long conversation recently
with one OF the Police officials high IN authority III IT,
gard 10 the workings of the detective force ana soe
remarkable statements we're made showing the lpem-
cheney OF the men and the lack of system whcn pre-
walls He said "The outside world has only d iaih'
idea Of the meagerness of information possessed oY e
aa,oc,i,os Those 70 whom the word detective
means a man acquainted with all the professional
rogues and swinders in the city, lynxeyed proiouhu vi
Thought keen OF scent, and most acute III peroePo"
would be startled to know how few OF these qnahues
the Brooklyn detectlves-with few exceptons-possess
Ihaye insisted upon It, that the detectives should know
ell the professional thieves in the city as they 90 III
London and Paris so that when robbery or murder
nccurs the first thing to ascertain where the noted
criminals were or were not the OCCASION The city
should he divided up so that each detective VIII hno"
Al, the bad men in certain district and in that way the
whole city coud canvassed. As matters are al pres
,nt very small portion of the thieves and despera
aoes are know to the detectives Each one OF them Is
his exclusive property He will not communicate ms
information to any of his companions Jealousy exsIs
the older to inform the younger ones on Tue
ground that they are not going To give away Wa nuS
have had TO obtain by years OF t Sc6 pas
them for it, and TO themselves. IL was propOseu
TEN Of recording the desperadoes of both cities and
Eeeping continual espionage over them; put tno o
members of force would not agree to anything WnSn
-e0nred an Interchange of information among the
members OF the force. As matters are at present. te
boIe detective force is a humbug and a sham. There
rraaf ack OF
ave in search of robber or murderer shouiu never
cave the trail until person sought for is in custody
n necessary he should make II his lewOrk, adhering
20 the thing enaciousy, stubbornly and with unyleid-
NC determination not TO let the matter drop until the
.uprt is found, although he may have other Work
~ DO ia the mean time How Inherently our ue-
iectives act! After great and startling crime
ike the Goodrich, Panormo, aud Turn murders certain
personsare told to work the case Ihey start VII u
ra is struck "a hours after the crime the chances are
against being found, and they abandon tue case
entirely aftera week or two ana never mart a T
Effort fathom the ystery Why, in tins very IuIlhl
.ase the detectives who assigned TO duty within
.he past a hours said TO me that the murderers or
lsaslns would be discovered and IL is useless 10
oOk for them. 1t seems TO me that If the prospect Oh
securing them seems dark, there exists tne gIessel
necessity for eXeriOn and the exercise OF real detee
ability They think on the contrary all elort sh h pe
stopped There Is also manifested a laek o apS III
the mead Of the force. He has no executive orce ana
never attempts to scoutro the actions views OF the
DGer members In fact he would not dare attempt such
thing IL wonId sur up TdDeli1 Ion az ai HEST
sndeayoring TO paciiy everybody now , rnese
Did detectives are very respectaOle fossils.
was time dimly remembered by the Oldest inha0i-
iant when they made good arrests. Their names
are stil terror to the respectable Plekwcks, VINO De'
heve all to be honest at heart but the force really
needs Young active men, and should get ia OF those
who are SO weighed down with experience that they are
almost worthless. would rather have "A man Ike
fnalnng new detective the orcel than 100 OF the men
OF heavy experience detective is born not made. lie
must cerre sIOnd somewhat TO the IDEAL and be shfeWd
thoughtful keen, having an extraordinary memory Tor
faces names and localities. and be possessed OF more
ability than ordinary men. There very few suon
men on the Brooklyn force Then you see why Is In
effective and worthless With iealouses, chickering's,
l4ak IA ifiup am
arrests to be made entire reorganization is needle
and, assure you, will soon take place"