The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1899-10-21
FOR A NATIONAL BUREAU
A Police Project for the Identified
lion Of Criminals.
Major Sylvester Now at Work on the
Draft OF Bill which Is to Be Pre-
scented TO Congress-In Charge of
the General Overnment-Some of
the Details of the Proposed Plan.

Major Sylvester, Chief of Police. who is
a member OF the committee appointed at
the last meeting of the National Union OF
Chiefs OF Police to prepare a draft of. a
bill for the establishment of a national
bureau of Identification, has commenced
the work, and expects to have the bill
ready for the action of the entire COM
mittee, which is expected TO meet in this
city early in November. 1t is the inten-
at the next session of Congress and every
effort will be made to secure its passage.
According to the Plan outlined By Major
Sylvester. the bureau TO be provided for
by the bill will be national in its scope,
and will be directly in charge of the Cen
eral Government Itals aimed 10 make
ii q bureau of the State Department.
Major Sylvester believes thar the pro-
posed system should provide for the pho
tographing and measurement OF al United
States prisoners, including those confne1
in military prisons, and all convicted for
offences against the laws of the United
States, as wen as OF those convicted for
violation of State laws. This would in
clude criminals whose prosecution is in
the hands of the various governmental de-
partments.
II is proposed to have representatives
of the bureau in every city and town In
the country. where there is reliable and
efficient police department. Sheriffs of
counties will also be made agents. The
national headquartersw be located in
this city. Each branch or agent will be
instructed in the system OF identification
to be decided upon. and all records will be
ha IN
Major Sylvester is thoroughly familiar
with the several systems of Identification
now in use in the cQuntrys~and tits prob
able that the good points of all will be
employed in establishing uniform meth
cd for the use of the proposed bureau. He
is especially partial to the card system
used by the army and navy authorities.
An applicant for entrance to either
branch of the service undergoes the strict
est physical examination, and any peculiar
mark found on the person, together with
the measurements of the applicant are re-
corded on card, which, is filed both at
the post where the examination is made
and at the War or Navy Department in this
city
There are also many excellent features
of the BertillOn system which could be used
TO advantage. With the records of all the
criminals of the United States placed on
file at the headquarters of the bureau it
would be a very simple matter TO learn
the identity of a criminal arrested on Sc
rious offence in some town or city where
he was not known.
The procedure in such a case would be
to take the measurements and photograph
of the person in question, according to the
system to be prescribed, and forward it to
Washington for comparison. 1t is esti-
mated that not more than 5000 or 1920
a year will be required for the operation |
of the bureau, during the first two or three |
years. The assistance which uniform and |
extensive means of Identification such as
the one under consideration would be al |
most Unreasonable. and a criminal whose |
picture and measurements appear on the |
would find it difficult to elude the |
officers Of the law were he suspected. of |
completely in a crime.
Major Sylvester, while in Chicago recent |
ly, inspected the bureau of Identification |
which has its headquarters there. The |
bureau includes in its membership many |
Of the principal cities and towns in the |
United States. The photographs and |
records of all criminals arrested are Sc |
cured, and if an important arrest is made |
in a city whose police department is a |
member of the bureau. and it is desired to |
find out if the culprit has a record. his |
photograph and measurements are sent to |
the headquarters of the bureau and search |
Of the files is made and the result COM |
to the city desiring the informa- |
ton. Major Sylvester found 1t to be |
well ordered bureau, but its scope in order |
to be thoroughly effective is not broad /
enough. Major Sylvester believes that the |
police departments all over the country a. |
well as the Government officials will be /
interested in the proposed bill and he looks |
for its early passage.