Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-07-16
THE BENCH and THE BLUECoAT.


Police Commissioners Rhinelander Waldo of
New York city, head of what is generally re-
garded as the greatest body of guardians of pub
lie safety in the world, gives it as his unbiased
opinion that the restraint of crime. is less po-
lice matter than a judiciary matter.
Given efficient police forces says Mr. Waldo,
that city will show least crime in the long run
which has the strictest and most severe munich
pal judges.
He declares that Lqndons remarkably low
per cent. of crime is due to the fact that the
Londoner knows that the chances are very good
that he will be caught, and much better that if
caught he will be handed a stiff sentence.
Pars's notorious laxity, rampant crime and
utterly lawless street Igangs he lays to the
leniency ofSthe' French municipal judges even
after the police have caught the criminals. Y 1
In statement before Judge Golf of New
York, Mr. Waldo declared:
eliminate from the criminal the fear of pun
ishment, and you eliminate all restraining in
'iuence. If you have policeman upon every
street corner, and he arrests every man who
commits any crime whatsoever against the law,
and if the men arrested are not punished, and
know that they will not be punished, then you
will have state of absolute disorder despite the
number Of your policemen; while, on the con-
trary, if every man whose Impulse is to commit
crime knows that Evil probably be caught if
he yields to this impulse, and that if he is
caught he will surely suffer the consequences of
his wrongdoing, he will probably, restrain his
criminal impulse In the final analysis, it all
comes down to this: whether or not the crimi-
nal knows he is going to be held responsible"
This noted police Commissioners is extremely
severe in his criticisms of the habit many police
judges have of suspending sentence. He main
tains that such an act is equivalent to release
without punishment, for few judges are able to-
learn Of previous suspended sentence when al
prisoner comes before them
Mr. Waldo's criticism deserves serious con
sideration. Honolulu is very fortunately sit
uated with regard to crime and petty misde-
meanors, but no one who has lived here any
length of time can fail to note the. increase in
certain forms of misdemeanor in recent years.
All over the world British law enforcement com
pels admiration and respect from the law-abid-
ing and is terror to eyil-doers The CATTLE
thieves of the Canadian plains know it, and the
Northwest mounted police rule their boundlessl
miles of territory with an efficient hand. 1t Isl
known in South Africa, in British munieipali-l
ties of the Orient, in all thecolonies. Its essen
tia feature is the relentless pursuit of every
criminal and speedy trial followed by carry
ing-out of the sentence There is no complaint
against British law enforcement on the ground
of leniency.
The police must do their part; the prosecut-
ing officers must do their part; the judges must
do their part. Mercy may temper, but should
not thwart justice.
Certain offenses against law in Honolulu are
fouted constantly. The autospeeder laughs att
the law 1t is time that the auto-speeder, thef
treet-gangster and others were taught their les
son.