Evening star., 1896-01-11
. DETECTIVE METHODS.
A Public Inspection of Thieves Rec
commended by Inspector O'Brien.

A Public Inspection of Thieves Rec
commended by Inspector O'Brfen.
From the New York Herald
'In the first place." said Inspector O'Brien,
the successor of Inspector Byrnes as head
of the detective bureau, in the course OF
a conversation about the methods employed
by the bureau. I'VE do not believe that the
end justiies the means. We make no COM
promise with crime to enable us to catch
a criminal. If we set thief to catch
thief we pay him for his work just as we
would pay an honest man. There the mat
ter ends. He cannot purchase immunity
for himself by his services in detecting fel-
low criminals. What's the result? You do
not any longe' see gamblers, confidence
men, bunco men and green goods men in
the street. Once they were everywhere.
Now they are run out of town the minute
we learn Of their presence. 1t would be
an easy thing for me to invite any number
of these men to come here to act as my
spies if I chose to do so. But l would have
to promise them protection. Now. any SEN
sible man must see that that is a mistake
1 do not near to say that l disdain the
services of any crook to aid in the ferret
ing out of crime in a legitimate way. l can
at any time, lay IIy hands upon any MEM
ber of the professional criminal classes, not
actively engaged in crime at the immediate
moment, who is now residing in New York.
frequently l can turn him to valuable ac-
count. But the moment he commits fresh
crime the hand of the law is down upDn
him."
Are there any methods in use which are
unknown to the public?'
Certainly, and 1t is necessary for the
public welfare that they should remain un-
known. If they were known to the public
they would be known to the criminals. A
large part of the detectives business must
be carried on under the veil of secrecy.
Publication would rend that veil in two.
OF course, publication also has its uses.
There are certain things it Is we'll that the
public should know, that it should join
in the chase for the criminals. Every hon
est citizen who reads morning paper con-
tanning the details of crime becomes an
aid to the detective bureau either directly
by ferreting out criminals, or indirectly
by keeping them in constant fear Of de-
lection and so confining them to the more
obvious channels of escape. But l believe
there are many reforms that could be in
stituted which would make the public still
more valuable ally of the bureau. 1 look
tion for every young detective who joins US.
Why should not it also be made an educa-
tional institution for the public at large!
To take single Instance:
You know that there is roll call of all
our men every morning at Q o'clock. The
entire eighty-SiX men on the force are re-
Quirad to be present at headquarters or re-
port some very good reason by telephone,
leieSTdpH DeSSeHSeT Al CnlS roll call
every thief who within the last twenty
four hours has been put under arrest is
stood up for identifcat ton. All the eighty
six must look up first to find out whether
they know him. and, second, to impress
his features on their memory. so that they
| will know him in future. If he proves to
be a professional his picture is added to the
rosues' gallery. The object of this genera
| inspection is that every man in the depart
| ment should know all that is possible about
| the criminal classes We do not want to spe
| ctaliZe Information or to make it esoteric
| Now is not the public at large as much in
! terested in this sort of knowledge as we
| are ourselves? 1t is to their interest to be
| able to recognize criminals On sight. There
| fore 1 would advocate the making of this
| roll call public function. At present we
| have no accommodations for this. Oul
| largest room is only large enough for oul
| force But it would be an improvement tc
| have the roll call held in a large hall t.
which the public were admitted