Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-17
BY EDWARD KERN


Fiesta of last year. with a couple Of
hundred thousand people massed along
the principal streets. not a serious ac-
cident was reported and during the
visit of the Atlantic fleet few days
ago only three cases of pockets being
picked were reported Zone of them was
not a theft but a loss), although ac-
tually hundreds of professional Grim
inals made the trip to the coast to take
advantage of the opportunity they be-
lieved was presented.
Kept Them Busy
1--WE kept them busy IN other ways.
however. and protected cur people from
molestation by them. To do this re-
quired weeks of preparation in adj
vance and long hours of extra work
by all members of the department.
Police protection must be afforded at
Ill hours of the day and night; and
as policemen must sleep some time,
we are able in fact to have only about
one officer on duty to every $500 of
our population-not nearly enough.
I'VE want a new headquarters build
ing so we can put into use number
Of innovations In police work The
present building was built with two
court rooms and at a time when there
was one prosecuting attorney There
are now four departments of the police
court Gone of them housed outside the
building and paying renD and six
prosecuting attorneys.
"These attorneys, as well as all the
officers stationed at headquarters, are
crowded irto cubby holes so small the
best work cannot be done. We need
room for an assembly room where the
men can be drilled Cat present we
have to rent the armory) for the de-
tective bureau, for the identification
and for half a dozen other purposes.
Do Better Work
IF we had the necessary room,
properly arranged, we could actually
do 80 per cent more effective work,
with no increase in the headquarters
detail of officers.
I'VE already have systems which no
city of our size has yet installed,
though the greater departments have
proved their value. We have method
of handling reports from pawn shops,
secondhand stores and similar places
where stolen articles are likely to be
disposed of which is as good as any in
the country, with the possible excep-
ton of Boston. This recent incident
illustrates it's capabilities: A pawn
-.-.r.-.-, .sss.s.
that on the previous day while he
was exhibiting some watches to
prospective customer the man stole
one from the counter while the pawn
brokers' attention was distracted for
moment. The report at once went
into the files and he was Immediately
told that, while we might not appre-
bend the thief, we could locate the
property for him.
Deeply gratified by this statement
he asked where it was and was told
that he had himself again taken it in
pawn that very morning. We had
watched his records more closely than
he had himself. He refused to believe
the statement until he returned to his
store and there found the Identical
watch. Later we arrested the thief. !
Tells Who Are Wanted
"a thorough dissemination of infor-
nation concerning crimes. persons
wanted, persons already apprehended, |
orders of the day and other matters |
which the officers ought to know to
enable them to properly perform their
duties is of the greatest value. We do
this partially at present by the publ |
cation of little daily bulletin printed |
in the department by u member of it. |
We have a small office, equipped at a |
cost of less than $400, and at an ex-
pense about equal to the salary of one |
officer, can get circular describing a |
wanted criminal printed, folded. |
stamped and into the mails, addressed |
to some seventy-f1ve peace officers in |
this section of the country, in less than |
half an hour. The regular Bulletin is |
also mailed to all these officers and dis |
tributed to each member of our own |
force just before he goes on duty. Sew
eral men are now serving sentences in |
state prison whose arrest could not, in |
all probability, have been effected but |
for the 1l9p Of this device
"A couple of men held up the Hot |
Rivet saloon, near Main and Redondo |
streets, last fall, robbing all those in |
the place at the points of guns; they |
then caught passing freight train and !
went toward Yuma, Ariz. The Bulle- |
tin, travelling in the mails, beat them |
to Yuma, and one of them was arrest
ed by the officers there, the other es-
Gaping.
Invents New System
1.-THE city electrician of Berkeley is
experimenting with a wireless signal
system for the use of that police de- |
partment He hopes to be able to send |
signals from the central station, which |
will be received In a receiver small! |
enough to be carried In the pocket or
helmet of every officer on duty, wher-
ever he may be stationed. If this. sys-
tenn proves feasible we want 1t.
I'm case of serious crime, fire or 9TH |
err matter of moment it would enable |
us to get word to every man in the
field very quickly, thus making possi-
BILE their mobilization If desired, or |
furnishing them with particulars of |
the offense, II such 1t were. so they |
might keep an intelligent lookout. At
present we hear from the men over the
existing signal system every hour.
Give us new building and reas-
enable allowance for equipment and |
operation" the chief concluded, land |
the country. That sounds egotistical, |
I know. but We can and will do it,