The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-27
A PROBLEM OF THE TIME.
How Shall Crime Be Repressed and
Criminals Dealt With?
Views of Mr. Howard Vincent, the Director of
Criminal Investigations in the Greatest
City of the World.

LONDON, Oct. 15.-The question, how crime
may be repressed and criminals dealt with to
the best advantage of society, has perplexed
legislators and engaged the anxious thought
of philanthropists from the earliest times,
and, no less in the new world than in the
old, it is one of the greatest problems of civ
ilization at the present day. Naturally,
therefore, any expression of opinion on this
subject is a matter of public interest," and
when such opinion emanates from those
whose position qualities them to speak with
authority, what is said is not simply inter-
esting but deeply important and worthy of
the most careful study On this principle
American readers will be glad to
have laid before them the substance of an
address delivered at the recent Social
Science Congress by Mr. Howard Vincent, a
gentleman, who as director of the criminal
investigations for this mighty metropolis,
brings to his theme that practical wisdom
which can only be acquired by long expert
ence Some points of this address may have
reached you by telegraph, but the kindness
of Mr.. Vincent in supplying your CORE
spondent with printed copy, enables me to
give an abstract OF the whole.
The subject is classified under seven heads,
viz: the causes, results, prevention, detec-
ton, and punishment of crime; the treat
ment oil discharged criminals, and the recon-
viction of criminals The causes of crime
are defined to be defective training, incapac-
ity, evil companionship, bad temper, drink,
immortality, poverty, the difficulty of OBJ
tanning employment, the difficulty of re-
trievinga lost character, the carelessness
of owners of property who place excessive
temptations in the way of the needy, and the
facilities for disposing of stolen property. To
each of the first four of the causes is assigned
one-tenth of committed crime, while the
next two, drink and immortality, are cred
tied with two-tenths each, the remaining
two-tenths being attributed to the five causes
last named. To drink, the speaker admits,
larger responsibility is frequently ascribed,
but this, he thinks, is because it is often
found coexistent with another cause of
crime, but not therefore OF necessity the vice
that gave the first impulse to the criminal
career"
FIGURES OF CRIME.
in treating of the results of crime some
valuable statistics are given In England,
Wales and Scotland the direct cost of crime
amounts to nearly thirty million dollars
annually, distributed as follows Police,
SIT 100000; prisons, 5000, 900; reformato-
ries and industrial schools, $2S4O,00 legal
proceedings, $1,61O0OO, value of property
stolen s., ZOO, 600 For the prevention. detec-
iSu mt If orip in RI,
countries, more than "a 600 persons are en-
ployed-magistfa u 256; police, 50 $50;
prison, reformatory and industrial school
officials, 6,105; clerks, goalers, ushers ETC.,
10000. In 1881, S25, 657 persons were appre-
hende1 or cted-that is nearly in every So
of the population. OF these, "a S6S were ar
rested for of1enses against the person, and
122 16l for otfenses against property the re-
naming three-fourths being charged with
minor offenses. In this connection, it is OBJ
served that there has been a considerable
dminution of serious crime in recent wears
in amount, at least, if not in character
illustrated by the fact that the number of
convicts, or persons undergoing penal servi-
tude, in 1882 was only 101 i'll excess of the
number in 1871, although the population had
increased in that time by more than $780,
OOO This, Mr.. Vincent says, is rightly at
trbuted by the Howard Association to 1.-The
vigorous efforts of the temperance move
ments the extension of various forms of
home missions, and the beneficial operations
of board schools. reformatories and indus
trial schools" The statistics of crime in the
principal capitals of Europe for 1881 are
also given and the showing is
quite favorable for the English.
The populations are as follows: London,
4, S14, S3S; Paris, 9, 225 90; Berlin, 1,122 1856;
Vienna, 1,0S2, 753 London having $3.50
policemen, Paris $500, Berlin g. 1876, and
Vienna 1929. In murders, Paris is far in
the lead, having had 146, while London had
only IT, smaller number than either of the
Others The French capital likewise leads in
robberies with violence, 2l1 having occurred
in that place, against 131 in London, while
Vienna is at the bottom of the list with 36.
In burglaries, the latter city stands first by
large majority, the figures being ] ,127, Lon
don having second place with SOP and
France being last with 26S. In cases of
manslaughter Paris again rushes to the top
and London falls once more to the bottom OF
the list the relative numbers being l. 142
against 90, In forgeries and rapes Berlin
carries the palm, having 257 of the former
and 800 of the latter London having 95 and
49, But in larcenies from the person Lon
don leaves all competitors far in the back
ground, for she records for that year the
amazing number OF 1861, Vienna having $40
Paris 339, and Berlin only 1913.
PREVENTIVE AND DETECTIVE AGENCIES.
Under the third head, viz: the proven
ton of crime, MIR. Vincent states
that there are 300 separate police
forces-90 in counties and 200 in
cities and boroughs, all independent of
each other. On economical grounds and for
the better detection of crime he would have
these various bodies consolidated. The
metropolitan force consists of u 623 men
and is under the control of the Home Secre-
tary. If the pending proposition to place
the force in the hands of the government of
London should carry, Mr.. Vincent thinks a
State police will become necessary. The
British police he declares to be 1.-THE admira-
ton and envy of foreigners" and he has no
fear of being contradicted when he says that
they show every desire "to act with the
utmost integrity, civility, energy, zeal and
ability on all Occasions.n At the same time