, 1879-07-20
TIE POLICE POLICY.

The alarming influx Of criminals OF all classes,
from burglars aud highway robbers down to
thrce-card-monte men, is due III part to mis-
taken idea which circulated throughout the
country among these people, that the Mayo:
had practically promised immunity to all evil
doers. This was q misunderstanding growing
ont OF his remarks upon gambling, because in
the same speech to the police he gave directions
for the arrest and punishment Of bunko-
steerers, confidence men. and vagrauts OF
nll classes. But the chief guilty parties
are the police force. Up to a compa1a-
lively recent period it was the custom
OF the Department, except IN special
cases where it was considered absolutely neces-
sary to keep things quiet in order to work up
case, to spread before the reporters, and that is
before the public, the details OF whatever RIB
berries, burglares. larcenies, and other offenses
that were reported to them or they had learned
Of in other wars- All these were published in
the papers, their number at no time, OF course.
being very small, for in lasge city there must
necessarily be much crime.
But short time ago policy of suppression
was begun, which was carried to ridiculous ex-
trcmc. 1t was resolved to give to the papers
no particulars concerning any crime which had
been reported at headquarters until tile offend
ers were arrested, and sometimes not even then.
citizens going to headquarters to report the
loss OF goods were cautioned over and over
again to say nothing about it to the reporters.
Of course the police were not absurd cnoug b to
imagine that the publication OF the fact Of the
robbery would notify the thieves that they had
committed a robbery, that the robberY had
been discovered, and that therefore 1t would be
well for them to hunt their holes. The heads
of the department struck the idea that if
no criminal items were printed in the
papers the public would imagine that the Police
Department was sinEutarly efficient, ana, there
fore. they tried IN every possible way. By
charge in case they leaked, to! Keep the facts
from the public. To a certain extent. for
time, this policy vas successful. The papers
got no Items, and the innocent public got the
impression that there was no crime; that the
Chicago police force WAS most admirable pre-
ventive institution.
But the criminal classes far and wide
gil over the country saw the case Diff
ferently. They saw that the Chicago
of reporting everything of criminal nature,
were giving little or nothing: There were no
more accounts Of tile arrests OF hunko-stcerers,
OF three card monte men. Of gamolers, or even
Of highwarmen and Notwithstanding
but a few insignificant nickpockets So they
came to the conclusion that the same immunity
which had been granted tile gamblers was
granted to themselves also, and for that reason
they 1ocked here FROM all quarters, until now
the streets nrc throngcd with them.
AuN, uHAOlLuAALC4t3 A4lCl tllCf AiQ LCk uElE,
no attempt was made to do anything with them.
Many were at first, OF course, unknown TO the
police They we're operators from other
cities whose faces were strange to
the detectives and patrolmen OF this
long, owing to the relations existing between
the various Police Departments and the infor1na-
ton each gives the other, to hare learned that |
these people were here, and to have taken the
proper measures to deal with them. But moth
jntrh haa haar dcnr # 6nna 1ha Ennr{eire nf I
it has been Kept from the press. Certainly |
there is no falling off in the number Of these !
offenders. !
The policy which the Acting Superintendent
has Just adopted, and which was carried out |
under previous Administrations, OF swearing out |
warrants against notorious criminals who are ]
known to have no honest means of sub
was. abandoned few months ago,
criminals. seeing that they were not mocsted,
that thev were brought before no Court, that no |
attention was paid to them, have gone on grow- |
ing ooider with lmpunily Until now it is getting
unsafe for stranger to travel the streets. The |
alarming increase IN crimes against the person |
and crimes against property, for they have in I
creased seriously. is due solely to the enormous
number of offeuders who have docked here from |
all quarters, who, having cotne here, must live, |
and who know but one way to live, and who /
will stay here Until they are warned off by The |
sharp and summary punishment Of some OF their |
number. |
For some timo back the whole police policy OF |
the citv has been laundering one, and, taken |
In conjunction with the unwise remark OF the
Mayor, misn1crpreted in part, has led directly |
10 to this state OF things which Acting-Supf. !
0'Donnell is now striving, and, it is to be hoped
With success, to remedy. He is m excellent |
nfiiccr, kaows his bueiness, is not to be ttwart-
ed or discouraged by little obstacles, and is
generally in the habit Of accomplishing what
ever he sets out to do.