The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-06
CRIMINALS FEAR
THE TRAINED DOGS
Animals Are Valuable in Ferret
ing Out Crime
CHICAGO THIEF SKEPTlCAL
He Admits, However, That Trained
Dogs Would Be Valuable in
Lonesome Suburban Dis
trcts-Chief Talks.

Chicago, IlL-The recent remarkable ex-
as demonstrated in Berlin has at
tracted the attention of police officers
throughout the country. 1t has been
proved that in a large number of cases
the sagacious animals are more effective
than men and quite as intelligent.
The chief of police in Client, Belgium,
says: II find that my dogs are cheaper
and more effective. Men get tired and
their uniforms are hindrance when run
ming after an escaping thief Thieves are
also fresher and generally superior to the
average policeman The dogs possess a
fine sense of smell and hearing and can
crawl noiselessly into places where men
cannot go. Furthermore. they inspire an
unaccountable fear in. the heart of the
evildoer and greatly sustain the courage
of policeman. Theft has decreased 60
per cent since my dog service became
properly organized"
Chief Collins of Chicago when asked to
give an opinion on the effectiveness of the
new system. was inclined to be conservs-
tive. He thought conditions in this coun-
try were different.
The great difficulties we are confronted
with here he said, ''are the number and
easy ways of escape our criminals have
The get away game here, with our rapid
transit and big country. is very different
from abroad. 1t is almost impossible for
criminals to escape in Italy, for instance
because of infrequent train service and
the narrow boundaries of the country"
But in the petty cases would dogs not
be useful?'
81 should say the trouble would be that
they would too often get the patrolmen
into trouble by mailing the wrong man. A
dog is apt to chase any running man and
might make the mistake of attacking
some innocent citizen.'
But at that, he would not do more
harm, would he than the average police
man who will shoot late at night any one
who refuses to stop at his commando
THE policemen shoot only to frghten."
And the dog would scarcely do more
than that. They are trained not to bite"
But the chief was still sl1eptical, al
though he admitted that in suburban sec
tons they might be useful.
Dogs have been tried here and In many
other parts of the country, but on the
whole they have not proved especially
valuable" he said
But there are many chiefs of other cities
who are studying the scheme with the
possibility of adopting it.
The Berlin chief of police was led to
adopt the system through a series of hold
ups and depredations in the suburbs such
as not long ago terrorized the smaller
cities of Massachusetts. A gang of men
corresponding to our yeggmen committed
number of more or less serious depreda-
tons. Owing to the small force and iso-
ation of the houses they escaped easily.
In addition to this a number of petty
hold-ups in the city proper. late at night,
such as have been frequent In Boston,
completely baffled the police. The chief
found himself almost powerless to cone
with the situation. 1t was then that he
organized his force of dogs.
He began a systematic course of train
ing, kindness being the one essential rule
BY means of dummy figures the dogs were
encouraged to seize man who might re-
semble in manner dress an escaping
thief Great patience was necessary for
the cardinal principal involved was that
the dogs must seize and hold their quarry
without inflcting serious injury