The sun., 1897-07-23
GRANTS RIGHT. SAYS ERHARDr.
Polico Onlcers Become Criminals when ThoJ
Tempt Other Citizens to Crime.


Tempt Other Citizens to Crime
Ex-Police Commissioner Joel B. Erhardt camo
out yesterday In support Of Police Commissioner
Grant in his denunciation of the use Of Park
hurstian methods by the police in procuring evi.
dence against loose women. He quotes tho
Penal Code to tho effect that person who di.
rectly or indirectly induces or procures another
to commit a crime Is q principal. Then he says:
Perhaps tho victim may have turned his
face in the right direction. The law makes it O
crime to lure him back. Perhaps ho had re-
formed. and 1t certainly seems to mo o subject
for very severe criticism that an officer of tho
law should bo permitted in any way to lure him
back. And when 1t comes to o question of in
sruuting the officer to do 30 and furnishing him
the money for that purpose, then it is little less
than inexcusable. might mention in passing
that where that is done with the taxpayers
money It open to another criticism. 1t is need
less to say that II practice of this kind continues
the force will soon become habitual tempUers in
certain ieeisistIvo ensotments. Whatever is on IN
never meant that you should violate one law to
enforce another. may be wrong In this matter,
Police Commissioner. and used all my infiu.
ence to prevent this.
and tho broader erimes-the social evil and
They should not bo kept alive by the use OF money
furnished by tho very people who seek to arrest
the offender. To do 90 10 both blunder and q
crime. and It seems to mo that any argument
that leans to the contrary Is untenable.
The result Of all this has been that to-day,
IL in worse condition than II ever has been, and
It will continue to grow worse rather than
better. unless officere who use such methods bo
adjudged equally guilty With the pcrpetrator of
tho crime, and bo made liable to the samo
punishment In addition, the police officers by
oath have sworn to observe and enforce all law,
including tho sections making the tempter to
crime criminal himself. Now. what Commis-
sioner Grant objects to Is, as understand:
"Etrst-Tho attempt to convert these 1000
law-enforcing officers into yiolators of tho law
sition. and II were there and found that 1t was
impossible to break that system up. like him
board one instant The evil that he speaks OF
has been carried to an extent that 10 something
appalling. I call TO mind an instance where in
front of O closed saloon, sick man. apparently
dying. begged some brandy, and in obedience to
the dictates OF humanity somo brandy was
giyen him. This was misdemeanor and n
crime under the law. When he received 1t and
had drank It. he arose and showed himself to be
extreme case, but instances are plentiful where
some similar pleas were adopted. II this Is toll
erablo In the case Of q misdemeanor. which 10 a
crime. why not In the case of felony. which Is a
crime of higher degreei Why should police
officer undertake to do an act which, IL he knew
any one else had committed 1t. would have made
II his duty to arrest him The practice should
not be sanctioned. II should receive the stamp
Of disapproval from Headquarters"