New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-14

detective division when comparison was
made between the amounts of property
lost and of property recovered. and IN
the records for 1872 forty-hVe homicide
cases listed IN the Coroners' records. but
mot included in any way in the detective
reports or records.
Find Records Manipulated.
The aldermanic Investigators found
further that the records of the Detective
Bureau we're so manipulated as to credit
arrests of murderers TO the detectives
assigned TO the case. when the arrest
was actually made within a few hours
after the killing by the uniformed po-
liccman who was nearest the scene ol
the crime Another apparently delibeI-
ate attempt II credit the Detective Blu
reau with work that it never accom-
plished was found in the reports oil
number of persons arrested as COM
pared with number of persons muir
dered."
In one such comparative classification
the Investigators found 2o5 persons re-
ported as murdered and beside II
the comparative figure Of l75 arrested.
There was no mention of the fact that
the 175 we're arrested in connection with
only 100 of the EOS murder cases and
the inference was that the detectives
he'd arrested 10 of 905 murderers
II was found that uniformed police
men made the arrests in % per cent
of the murder cases, the solving OF
which were accredited to the detective
division. and that in the cases IN which
convictions we're obtained the uniformed
men had made the arrests in % per cent
OF tie cases.
IN investigation OF the work Of the de-
tectiNes by precincts and districts 90
they have heen apportioned since Com
missioner Wsldos order scattering the
Central Office squad. disclosed the same
conditions on smaller scale Precinct
detectives were credited with arrests ana
work in the recovery of loot which
should properly have gone to the uni
formed policemen.
Credit Stolen" from Patrolmen.
~ot only Was the apparent efficiency
OF the detective division inflated by
stealing credit from uniformed men. but
me investigators found also the reports
from Headquarters CLOSED over the IN
Vulnerable failures of the detectives 50
As 10 make them appear in the record or
successful work.
Although the annual report admits no
results in only IS per cent Of the com
plants received throughout the city for
the year 1912" says the aldermanic re-
port. and gives 9S.0i4 cases as having
been disposed Of Ostensibly with re-
suits investigation showed that more
than 80 per cent of complaints received
were disposed OF with no beneficial re-
suits to compliments.
As 10 the records Of the work Of the
Detective Bureau in homicide cases in the
wear or 1872, the investigators reported
specifically:
That the homicide records Of the bu-
yeau are so incomplete that for 1912 the
bureau had absolutely no record OF forty
five cases in the Coroners and District
Attorneys Offices. including instances in
which the defendant had been tried and
convicted for murder during the year
THAT such records as exist are con
fusedly classified.
THAT the individual reports OF detec-
uves are. with few exceptions, utterly
useless either as d measure of their eff
cheney or as sufficient explanation of the
fact that so little IS accomplished
THAT out of sixty-fOur eases in which
no results were reported, In only ten
was there any evidence that the detec-
tives had done any work whatever AFTER
tho expiration Of sixty days; IN these ten
cases most Of the work appeared to con-
sist i'm making supplementary reports
containing no definite Information AZ TO
results. and in not a single case did the
,ecords indicate that q request OF de-
,ectiye that he be permitted 10 drop a
case was disapproved by his supelioIs.
THAT in % per cent of the cases IN
which convictions were secured the ar
rests were made by policemen; that in "a
per cent OF the arrests maze by oetectiNes
Tho arrests were made either at the scene
OF the crime or within two days or us
commission and were of persons known
and identified at the outset. that In only
six cases out OF 800 reported were con-
victions made where the detectives had
80 do real detective work In discovering
who the murderer was some time after
the commission OF the crime, whereas in
forty-one cases discharges resulted IN
spite OF immediate arrests.
Constructively. the aldermanic probers
suggest that the reasons for promoting.
reducing, creating OF removing detectives
should be recorded in detail and filed
under the names OF the men. A system
Of real efficiency records should be kept.
nv which a detectives past record, as
well as his progress on a current case
could be Immediately ascertained. Pre-
cinct commanders should be required To
make record Of every single complaint
received by them and to report 10 Head
quarters on the action taken.
Case reports should be fun and com
plete and in homicide cases these reports
should be especially complete as to all
circumstances and details, TO the end that
no homicide case should be dropped with
ont tbe fnll approval Of some hign official
81 the bureau.