The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-10
NATION NEEDS POLICE
MUNICIPAL CHIEFS PLAN FoRMA-
TION OF BUREAU TO COVER
THE COUNTRY
SECRET SERVICE WANTS AID
Assassination of President Mckinley
Leads to a New scheme for
Keeping the Criminals
in Check.
Special to The Globe.

WASHINGTON, March 9.-Arrange-
nlents are on foot for the establishment /,
CT national police bureau, with head
quarters In this city, which will be one
of the most complete in the world.
These will probably be consummated
at the regular meeting of the National
Association of Chiefs of Police of the
United States. which takes place in May
next, at which it is planned to have pres
ent police chiefs from the principals cities
of the world. 1t is hoped by this meet
ing to establish reciprocal relations so
that our officials may work more INTEL
fgently and tremendously with their con-
frereS abroad.
Outside of the police departments of our
chief cities the United States has a very
imperfect system of criminal Identified
ton, we being far below the aveA ge
European country, and even India in mat
Tes3ect
the movement being taken in this di-
rection was inspired directly by the an
archist activity which led to the death
of Mir. Mckinley.
At the present time there are strong
efforts being made by members to have
congress pass bill establishing a Fed
eral police bureau. The only organiZa-
tion we have at present is that main
tanned by subscriptions of the police de-
partments of our leading Cities which
provide for central bureau of criminal
Identification at which are kept measure
ments, photographs, descriptions and
records of SUCH criminals only as may
have come under the notice of the police
of the various cities contributing to the
bureau.
About fifty municipalities contribute
So, 900 annually for the purpose. OF coure
the bureau is entirely inadequate to the
needs of the country at large, and its in
completeness initiates severely against
the prompt apprehension of habituai
criminals.
The bill which is before congress has
excellent backing and is very likely to
be passed
The purpose of the measure is to place
the regularly constituted United States
government and police officers in every
city, village and town Of various states
and territories in touch with central
source of criminal information, to which
he will be expected to give photographs,
descriptions or information concerning
criminals or crime, and for which he will
be known generally by the authorities
for the benefit of society or with that
concerning anyone criminal, which may
be of special interest to his local city.
The scope of operations contemplates
the establishment of a place where there
shall be concentrated descriptions, meas
urements and pictures of criminals and
information concerning them, gathered
at home and abroad, and for the proper
dissemination of such information, either
generally or specially, as may be war
ranted
Plan to Catch Deserters.
With the photographs or information
concerning persons who may have plotted
against the state abroad in possession,
such having been sent to the bureau,
say from the Paris bureau of police,
should such persons have come to this
country the authorities would be ena-
bled to know them wherever they might
locate and the charac ter of their work.
When a subject deserts from the army
or navy Of the United States the police
authorities are furnished with descrip-
tons of such deserters. Through a bu-
reau such information would not be linn
tied, as it now is necessary, but would
be generally distributed.
The chief of the secret service, chief of
the postoffice inspectors and Wardens of
the government penitentiaries have all
given it their favorable and unqualified
Endorsement. The former will be placed
in closer touch with the police authOri-
ties and thorough cooperation follow.
Should the chief of the secret service re-
quire imne diate information he would not
be required TO write to a police depart
nent and te compelled to wait an inves-
LEGATION and reply, for the same could be
had within an hours time by consulting
the bLreeu.
United i'm the Man Hunts.
The police business in the United States
has largely become a man hunt in which
all Pan tlcipate. and when the game is TAX
en- into any enc quarter, all others join
i'll rejoicing, for they no longer have fears
that their respective localities will be ter
ri::ed or robbed by such a character.
1t is not proposed that the bureau shall
be detective agency, but place where
the chief of police might send a photo
graph, measurement CT description Of a
certain arrested person, with the request
that he be identified. Should the pho
tograph, measurement or description iden-
teal be found among the thousands which
will readily be contributed by the police
authorities from all sources, the charac-
ter is no longer unknown to the inquirer,
and authorities everywhere enjoy the
benefit of the knowledge thus obtained.
If the bureau is established, photo
graphs, measurements, descriptions and
information of criminals at home and
abroad will furnish a valuable means of
affording protection to government officials
and institutions to persons and property
throughout the country.
The police departments of the principal
European countries are as near perfection
as can be imagined, although it is said
that the Indian secret service excels that
of any in Europe. 1t is by means OF this
powerful agency that Great Britain keeps
midas hundreds of millions under subiec-
ton, adopts as they are, like all Orientals
in every form of intrigue.