Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-02
PURSUIT AND CAPTURE OF CRIMI.
NAILS.
The San FRANCISCO CAL SAYS:

state Constabulary. quoting from the Colusa
sun i shows that, under the law as it stands,
Sheriffs in the rural counties are apt to lose any
moneys they expend for the pursuit and capture
of criminals. Neither the State Board of Ex-
aminers nor the Boards of County Supervisors
are willing to reimburse them for such ex-
penses. Would the number of es-
capes be fewer if Boards of Supervisors showed
more alacrity 10 audit the bill of Sheriffs for
carriage hire and volunteer policemen? Would
they be reduced if the State appointed a CON
stabuIary Of its own, with a rowing commission
to eaten knaves all over the State? These are
questions which cannot readily be answered in
the affirmative.
OF course, as to what would actually re-
suit upon the establishment of State Con-
stahulary must remain a matter of specu-
iation until fair trial of the system, but
we do know the ineffectiveneSs of our pres
ent loose and inharmonious method. Let
us apply the test of reason to this matter
In case of the escape of criminal now,
there is no authority under bounden duty
to notify the Sherifls of the counties or, if
the authority in the local jurisdiction of
which the crime is committed undertakes
to do SO, it depends wholly upon its judg-
ment what SherifiS it will notify, and how
detailed shall be the information. As
there are ffty-two Sheriff., twenty-five
Chiefs of Police, twenty-four Marshals and
40 Constables, it is not difficult to see that
some avenues of escape, so far as notlfca-
ton OF officers are concerned, are likely to
be left open.
But suppose the State has a force of
seven State Constables, whose whole and
only duty is to keep track of crime and
criminals. Suppose the Chief to be resi-
dent at the Capital and his aids to be To-
Gated at Los Angeles, Redding Truckee,
San Francisco, Fresno, and say Susanville,
or some point on the northern slope of the
Sierras, and all under the eye of the Exc
cutive and Foard of Examiners. Now, if
a crime is committed and an escape eff
fected in any part of the State, the Con-
stabulary is instantly notified the Chief
at once communicates with his aids, each
Of these unite with all the officers in his
assigned district, and in whatever direc-
ton the criminal may flee he will find the
avenues of escape guarded. Moreover,
there will instantly be set upon his track
two or three skilled officers who have no
local duties to neglect and no doubts con-
corning repayment of expenses, and who
will be spurred by ambition to win credit
for themselves and their force. With
these every Sheriff, Constable, Chief of
Police and Marshal will cooperate, each
in his own jurisdiction and without leav-
ing 1t, and thus there will be orderly, eff
fectiye and rapid union of effort If a
highway robbery is committed the nearest
State Constable will instantly, upon being
notified, set cut in pursuit, while the Chief
will second his efforts by putting every
officer iii every county on his route into
cooperation with him.
IS matters row stand, il I'm escape is
effected, only the Sheriff within whose
Jurisdiction it takes place starts in pursuit.
No Others are bound to render him any aid
and only rarely do they do so. lie must
operate singly and alone and has actually
fewer chances of overhauling the criminal
than if he had remains at home and
trusts to the rascal stumbling into the
arms Of some other peace officer. 1t is
demonstrable from criminal history in this
State that this conclusion is justified.
But it is the duty of the State to pro-
vide better means of capturing escapes
than now exist, because the punishment
of the criminal is State, not county
matter. The punishment is melted out by
Judges salaried by the State, and the ex-
piasion is in prisons established and main
tanned by the State The State should
not trust to the stimulant of private offers
OF reward. To do so is to cultivate an in
active disposition on the part of officers,
and this reason is in itself quite sufficient
to instify the experiment OF a State con-
stabUlary. Moreover, it is unjust 10 the
citizen, who bears his full share of the
burdens of government, to impose upon
him the necessity of special and heavy
order to secure the restoration of property
stolen or the punishment Of offenders. A
State constabulary could not be affected by
rewards, because by the very nature of
their Office they would be prohibited from
receiving reward. Their compensation
would be steady, not fitful their ambition
to retain place by virtue of efficiency.
The law would require, of course, that
every peace officer in the State should, on
the demand of State constable, render
him all possible aid in the area of his
Jurisdiction, and thus we would have the
whole force of officers in the State, some
six hundred strong, operating intelligently
and tremendously under skilled direction
and definite purpose, instead of as now,
independently, upon conflicting theories
often antagonistically, and seldom in
diligently.
In whatever light the subject is viewed
we see 1t grow into better and stronger
proportions, and find it presenting itself
more and more forcibly, and We entertain
the faith that the State will presently
adopt the system. The Call has advanced
all the objections to the scheme that can
possibly be arrayed against it. These are:
a. That officers would still await the
Offers Of rewards; but, as we have already
shown the constabulary would not be in
fiuenced by any such stimulants, while
they would be excitantS under authority
to the officials who now fail TO act until
reward is offered (2) "If California is
large, it is also sparsely settled, and
stranger is apt to be identified as stranger
when he makes his appearance in coun-
try village or rural town. 1t is very diff
cult 10 live in this State without commu-
nicating with some one, if nothing else
simply to get food, and there is no part of
the State which is not reached by news
papers, Murderers do escape, as we
know, in few instances; but as rule