Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-04

| crowd of human vultures was arrested
as he was getting his victim out of the
way That the crime and arrest was
discovered by accident by the detect
| ives is of no moment. 1t was discov-
! cred, and an arrest of the least guilty
] of the criminals made. That he es-
capped from the clutches of the law by
putting up as bail small part of the
stolen money and then failing to appear
| is a fault of the law and not of the de-
tectives. That the other members of
| this crooked gang with the bulk of the
stolen money were allowed to escape is
explainable only by the word ineff1cien-
cy of the department as whole.
Big SwindIer Escapes
Some months ago a big, portly swim
dler of the Miller type appeared in Los
Angeles and opened d magnificent suite
of offices in one of the prominent office
buildings in the downtown section. He
inserted in newspaper advertisements
which were a swindle on their face.
BY his promises to pay 800 per cent
interest on investments of 500 UP he
gathered a fund estimated at from
100000 to 100000.
| with his baggage loaded down with his
| stolen gold he was fully and complete
| ly exposed by The Herald. 1t was
| shown that he was a swindler and that
he was daily robbing dupes who were
| induced to part with their money by his
| lying promises and dishonest represeh-
| tations.
With the clean cut statements that
| the man was a swindler and a thief
staring them in the face the detectives
did nothing. The man was permitted
to gather all his i'll gotten gains to-
gether and to gather several thousand
more on bogus checks and depart. He
was traced by the newspapers and TO-
Gated last in San Francisco, where ex-
tradition was unnecessary, yet he was
| allowed to escape, and is probably at
| this moment sitting at ease within
reach of the hand of the law laughing
at the "easy NUTS on the force
These are but samples of many other
cases in which no arrests were MADE
| Burglars, sneak thieves, pickpockets.
porch climbers, bunco artists. all kinds
and varieties of criminals have piled
their trade in Los Angeles and in the
majority of instances have gone scot
free for all the local detective force
acted as a prohibitive or corrective fac
tor.
Too Much Politics
1t is said that disorganization, office
politics and professional jealousy are
| solely responsible for this lamentable
condition of affairs. That there is u
lack of the right kind of discipline and
direction seems beyond doubt. That
Los Angeles should have one of the
best organized and most efficient forces
of detectives in the country is also be-
yond question. The present police force
| has plenty of good material from which
/ Al. f,,f Act &c
political pull and influence has here
| tofore directed the appointment OF
members of the force rather than abil-
ity to perform the duties of the posi-
ton.
Perhaps If politics was taken away
from the department and Capt. Flam-
mer. who is acknowledged to be an ex-
perienced officer. had the choosing of
his own men and had the direction Of
them without interference from this
politician and that ward boss there
would be a different story to tell, but
the facts are that the force is disor-
ganized and inefficient and will remain
so in the opinion of men informed OF
! the conditions until the entire bureau
is cleaned out and reorganized by the
appointment of new men and perhaps
new directing head
AS it is at present less than one-half
of the detectives assigned to street
work are doing the bulk of the work
of the department They are the con-
scientious, loyal and faithful, ambitious
and enthusiastic members of the force
The others are constantly on the out
look for "cold turkey" and voluminous
reports.
If as little in praise of the patrol
department of the police force could
be said it would be a sad story for
Los Angeles and most deplorable
situation.
Patrolmen Are Efficient
To the contrary however, the work
of the patrolmen under intelligent and
efficient direction has been commend
able. During the past month. which
was a comparatively quiet one in po-
lice circles, the men working out of
| central station turned into the city
in fines and convictions more than
$1,000 or about 90 per cent OF the salary
of all of the men working out or CEN
trail station. Thieves, swindlers, gam
blers. Migrants, bunco men and wom-
en-, shoplifters, peace disturbers,
DRINKS, JOY riders, speed maniacs, are
all the same to the harness bulls.
Faithfully and Loyalty they perform
their duties the best they know how
and as an organization there is none
in the United States excelling 1t in
discipline and efficiency Torn as 1t is
by internal political strife and friction
! beteen the two or more factions max
ing up the force, good work has yet
been done and the lawbreaker, be he
of the big or little variety, has receiv-
ed short shrift and little consideration
at the hands of the patrolman.
The incoming of a new chief of po-
lice allied with no faction or clique in
the department and untrammeled by
political ties and bosses, should bring
about quickly in the patrol department
entire harmony of purpose and put an
end to the knocking" and "back-cap-
ping" which have worked harm to the
/ department and harm to the city.
In the detective department, how
ever, a harder task is set for the new
man. Here the captain of detectives
has long been supreme. TO him has
been delegated the work of handling
the department as he saw fit, because
of his supposed knowledge and fitness
for the position, as we'll as his exper-
fence. That some change is necessary
to bring harmony to the department
and restore efficiency and organization
is believed by those best fitted to judge
of the matter, and no one in or out of
the department will welcome such a
chanee more than the faithful and