Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-17


To The Editor of Tn EVENING stan.
The corps Of detective police has been abol-
ished by ct Of Congress. Upon our District
Commissioners b dsvolved the duty Of organix-
Ing new corps. No mistakes should be mace
In selecting the personnel of that corps, and,
above all. that body Of men should be properly
managed and intelligently and judicioasly as
signed to duty. Tho recent scandal regarding
our detectives arose q much through incompe-
tent management and q vicious policy inaugu-
rated by their chief officers a. through dishonest
methods on the part Of the detectives them
selves. In fact, 1t is well known that during
the past four or Ave years the detectives have
been subjected to no discipline. management, or
control. They have been allowed to assume the
role rather Of free-booters than public officers.
charged with the detection Of crime and
the apprehension Of criminals. The fault was
not 80 much in the detectives themselves as In
their "stars" that they fell into crooked WAYS.
A detective corps, composed Of men Of the right
stamp and intelligently managed. can be made
to detect. and, what is better, they can be made
to prevent crime of the professional type IN a
community like ours almost entirely careful
supervision Of their operations and watchful
observation Of the state Of the community az to
crime and the criminal classes, will at once de-
monstrate whether the detectives are honestly
engaged IN the performance Of their duties or
are in collision with criminals. II the commu-
nifty Is free, or comparatively Free from the op-
erations OF thieves, burglars, confidence men
and mercenary criminals generally of the pro-
iessional classes, then the conclusion ought to
De that c0lluSfon does not exist. II the reverse
be true then we may justly conclude that
EITHER INC0MPErENcY OR COLLISION
does exist. A wisely selected detective
corps can, II they will, render our community
comparatively free from the operations Of pro-
fessional criminals; not that they can prevent
theft and robbery In every instance, but syste-
matte and continuous depredations they can
prevent. Unknown criminals may operate for
day or two, but they can soon be known and
come under police surveillance. OF course the
community should possess adequate laws for
the arrest and punishment Of known profess
sional criminals, found under suspicious circum-
purposes In view. whether they have actually
committed . crime I'm contemplation or not.
The detective officers should be required only to
satisfy the court that at the time Of arrest the
accused had In contemplation the execution of
an unlawful act; and this done punishment
should follow. Under such conditions as to
laws, coupled with ability, energy and honesty.
the community need not and will not suffer
from crime OF the mercenary type to any very
serious extent.
DETECTIVES SHOULD NOT BE KNOWN.
Hitherto our detectives have an been known
to the public. Probably no men, and certainly
no class of men, have been SO well known as
the detectives. This was unfortunate and q
great detriment to successful detective work.
In our community not more than two detectives
should be known to the public; the other four
Of the corps of six should be absolutely un-
known to others than one or two of their chief
officers. These men should be employed with
the distinct understanding that they must con-
ceal their identity as detectives, and that as
soon as they become known to the public as
such their usefulness ceases, and their services
are no longer required. Heretofore our
detectives, some of them at least, have been In
the habit of seeking nOtoriety as such through
newspapers and otherwise. Like the hen when
she has laid an egg they must cackle. Or, like
chantlcieer, when he has overcome rival, they
must mount the topmost rail of a neighboring
fence, and proclaim in clarion notes that the fact
is accomplished. The detectives would have
been little better known had they worn exposed
upon their breast a badge bearing the inscrip-
ton that they were detectives. The moral in
huence upon criminals when they feel that they
are under the eye of persons unknown to them.
engaged In watching their movements, is potent
and effective. OF all people they most want
their surroundings and movements unknown,
and unless they feel confident that such Is the
case they move hesitatingly and with lack Of
confidence.