The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-01-29
Judge Guig0n's Views.
RICHMOND, January IL, 1876.

hlCHAOSD, JduuaIy IL, lou.
George L. Christian, Esq, Chairman Of ut'
Coaneitce on Ordinances:
Dear Sir,-In response to your inquire
of this date have the honor to say
Ist. That in my judgment " it is not neces
sary for the detection or prosecution OF crime
in this city to increase the number and eX
pense of the present police force by the eStab
lishment of special detectives with the pay
of policemen and the powers Of conStabIeS.' :
Upon the contrary, my experience compel:
ME to regard them as hndrance TO the de-
lection and prosecution OF offences: for these
reasons: list. The object of the detective i:
not the prosecution Of prisoners to convc.
ton, but the recovery of stolen property anc
its return to the owner, in order to secure
the reward offered or expected: and in order
to facilitate him in this purpose he has 10
keep under protection TO certain eN
| tent part of the criminal classes.
who assist lIim; and he has also to OBJ
| tain the goods by promises or threats, which
disguuliiy him from testifying against the
thief, the receiver, or the informer. I'd. II
he can get possession of the stolen property
by promises, or threats, or by agreeing to
divide the reward, it is against his interest
that the thief or receiver should be brought
to punishment, for in that case he loses the
services of his tools, the thief and receiver,
and is deprived of their assistance in recsy.
.ering other stolen property. Sd. AS long as
detective is private detective, no promise,
reimbursement, or threat offered by him to a
prisoner will prevent the statements or con-
fessons of such prisoner from being used
against him on his trial; but the moment
you invest such detective with the powers OF
an officer OF the law such statements or con-
fessions cannot be receiyed-the law being
that such confessions made TO private per-
son are admissible, but when made to an
officer are inadmlssible. This objection
to the employment Of public 'detec
tves baS been forced upon me by the
experience of the last six years, during
which time, in almost every Case where de-
tectiveS came into court as witnesses, their
Testimony Was ruled out for this cause and
my recollection is that during this long Pc
riod there have not been half dozen con.
victiors on their evidence, and the cause OF
these circumstances is obvious. AS | have
said, the object Of the detective is to secure
the stolen property for the reward pot to
convict the thiet-and in order to accomp plish
his purpose be does not hesitate at any
promise Or threat which will facLl-
tate it, though his conduct in
this respect prevents the punishment
of the otfeader. in truth, the detective sys.
tenn in this country noW-a-dayS has come te
this: that the detective, though sworn 9th.
Ger Of the law, is in fact nothing more than
a merchandise broker between the thief and
ehepersou whose property is stolen, disre-
.eardng every other duty excep, that which
eaureS to his profit, and adding sometimes
the business Of hlacknailers and politicians.
4th. The detective system has prejudi-
cial effect upon the general polio. So long
as detectives are employed the police naiu-
rally regard the detection of Offences
as fhe special duty OF those otfi-
GERS, and become to q certain degree
negligent in this respect, or if they manifest
any activity are snubbed by the in(a-ma-
tion that the detectives have the case and
they must not interfere. 1t is aemoralising
In another aspect. The police see men wGlo
a.e paid the same wages and invested With
only the same authority aud rank as them
selves performing none of their srduous
duties, subject to no apparent control,
heavy rewards, and doing what
they please where they please, and how
they please. 1t would seem, therefore,
hat as the detectives are an obstruc
.ioH to public justice, and only bene
icial to the persons whose property they re.
cover. those persons and not the community
should pay Eor their services, and tney shouid
not be invested with powers Rhlcn tney Use