The record-union., 1897-10-06
AN OLD SUBJECT UP AGAIN.
he Alameda "Encinal" saws:

The Alameda "EnclnaI' says:
The need for a State constabulary be-
comes more apparent every day. In
dealing with highwaymen and stage
robbers such a force would be invalua-
bic. 1t is impossible for the local
officers to handle such affairs proper
~, or at all events they show a la
mentable lack Of success in tracking
up and arresting such offenders. But
with a State constabulary, somewhat
after the line of the Texas Rangers,
made up Of men whose sole pursuit is
hunting down offenders, familiar with
every trail and pass in the mountains,
1t would be difficult for criminals to es-
cape. It is to be hoped that the Leg
stature will take some action in this
direction at the next session.
Twenty years ago the Record
Union' advocated the establishment Of
a State constabulary system. It then
pointed out that our method Of pursu-
ing criminals whose crimes relate to all
the State rather than to a county, was
obsolete and not only ineffective but
absolutely provocative of repetition OF
such crimes.
There are some counties in California
that have been brought to the verge Of
bankruptcy in prosecuting road agents
TO conviction. though no property Of
any taxpayer of such counties avs TAX
en- or assaulted. Ever since then the
Record Union" has advocated the es-
tablishment of a State constabulary,
and not a Legislature has met that
this paper has not presented the mat
ter to its attention. Invariably, how
ever, a few cranks and sufficient
officials, who imagine that all wisdom
dwells in the term of office filed by a
Sheriff, has enkindled opposition to the
plan on the ground that it would be
copying after foreign countries, and
would put additional burdens upon the
oppressed taxpayers.
Bless their unimportant souls a chief
virtue of the proposition is its economic
feature for it would save hundreds or
thousands Of dollars to the taxpayers.
is too puerile to merit consideration The
simple question is, sis it wise regard
less Of its origin?" We need about
six skilled detective State constables
with chief located at central point,
and his aids distributed north, south,
east and west in the State. With
these he would be in constant and in
slant communication. He would be in
touchs with the chief peace officers of
every State in the Union, and the po-
lice OF all the great cities. Possessing
descriptions of all leaders of the GRIM
sinal classes he would be able to keep
track Of the kidney who come to Cal
iforTlia or develop here.
Each of the heutenants should have
all the powers of a Sheriff in any coun-
ty and be a marshal detective at large.
authorized to act within any jurisdic-
tion and command to his aid any and
all peace officers of all grades and thus
systematic pursuit, erect barriers TO es-
cape and track, follow and arrest unem-
baIaassed by county and township
boundaries and without the handicap Of
inability to use the means necessary TO
pursuit, an obstacle that has nettled
every Sheriff in the State. These men
from their outlying positions having all
peace offices in their section organized
for instant communication, would be
able to close about all gateways of
escape, and pursue with such unfag-
ging industry and certainty, that road
agency would soon become too danger
Gus to pursue in California.
IF we had at the time a State con-
stabulary force Of six men, related
closely to all peace officers, and en-
powered to act in any county and the
operations OF all Sheriffs. Constables
and police officers harmonious and ef-
fective along lines that would be sys-
tematic. would Tom Lawton have es-
capped, would the fiend Dunham have
slipped away, would the half hundred
robbers and murderers who have dis
appeared and gone unwhipt of justice
IN California in the last ten years. have