Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-19
BOYS BECOME
BOLD BURGLARS
MANY RECENT R08BERlES ARE
TRACED TO MERE YOUTHS
Police Claim an Alarming Amount Of
Crime Is Being Committed by
Novices, Who Soon Become
Clever Criminals

A reign of crime among boys in Los
Angeles according to the police, has
broken loose.
Over a score of burglaries within the
last two weeks have been traced to
boys ranging from seven to fifteen
years of age. and it is thought that
the lads are responsible for many
other jobs that have been done.
The captain of detectives and the
chief of police yesterday asked that a
note of warning to parents be sounded,
cautioning them against permitting
their children to run unmatched on
the streets The officials declare that
many of the tricks are turned by lads
whose minds are unoccupied.
Always when school is closed for
the summer vacation the number of
burgaries noticeablY increases, but
never have the youngsters given the
police so much trouble as this sum-
mer. The winter, with its many rich
attractions for thugs, never is such a
busy time for the police as they are
having now.
Police officers acknowledge that the
boys are one of the most difficult propo-
sitons they have to handle. Together
boys concoct schemes to rob which are
professional and practiced highway
men.
The first reason for so many boys
becoming bad is said to be the reading
/ of dime novels and hair raising
stories. Another cause for crime is
said to be highly colored posters, with
lurid pictures of crime.
Problem for Police
l..
Chief of Police Auble said yesterday:
The most difficult proposition with
which we have to combat is that of
dealing with boys. Just what to do
with them we hardly, know. To put
them in the detention home is almost
the same as putting them in a school
for crime.
There the little fellows who have
stolen some small article are thrown
into contact with the larger and more
experienced boys While detained they
plot some of the most unheard OF
crimes. They seem to fear nothing.
Men would not think of taking the
chances that the boys do.
My idea is that the boys should
be sent to the reform school if their
crime is of any moment. We have
arrested boys who have been let go
from the juvenile court three or four
times on probation. As soon as they
get out they Immediately commit some
other crime. one thing about the
crimes that the boys commit is the
fact that they always leave some clew
by which we can trace them
Make Clever Criminals
Captain OF Detectives Flammer said
yesterday that the cases of petty bur-
glaTy are very annoying.
The parents of the boys we have
arrested and all other parents should
watch out for their children. Some of
them allow the boys to run on the
street and think that they will take
care of themselves. Instead of play
ing they get together and plan a way
in which to raise money to go to
skating rink or a ball game. These
children make the worst kind of crim-
nails, for they become cleverer the older
they get.
After a lad once commits a crime,
if he is not Immediately punished, his
whole career is in danger. The remedy
lies more with the parents than with
the police.
IF these children could be sent to
the beaches or to the mountains they
would never think of committing
crimes. l would like to see every child
be given chance to leave the city
during the summer months"
If the present reign of crime among
the youthful criminals continues a
more severe punishment than hereto
fore provided will be imposed. The
police are determined to break up all
of the gangs.