The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-12-26
Its Police Commissioner in Re-
port Tells of Motor Car Ban
dts and Burglars
ONLY % KILLINGS WERE
COMMITTED THERE IN 1913
400 Homicide Cases Here-3Il
Burglaries as Against 9,163
in This City

resemblance TO the taXicab robber OF
New York and the yeggman, and their
activities have become great enough
10 merit these passages in the last
report OF +. r. Henry, commissioners
OF the metropolitan police of London:
Three new factors have contribut-
ed TO the frequency OF housebreaking
and TO the difficulties OF prevention
and detection:
Rapid and cheap transit by tube
and motor omnibus, which enables
professional housebreaker TO live an
orderly life In one part of London and
commit his offenses in another, where
he is quite unknown; the spread OF
insurance against burglary. which
seems TO make the householder neg
iectful OF simple precautions for the
safety OF his properly, and the grow
ing use of ornamental loaded panes
of glass in hall doors, which can be
displaced by the afternoon house
breaker sufficiently to admit his
fingers to the latch of the door.
Fronting by cheap fares and bet
ter travelling facilities, the habitual
offender has begun TO find it profit
able to move from town To town COM
hitting offenses, and in order to cope
with this new development it was de-
cided to remodel the Police Gazette
and publish il twice instead of once
weekly, In order that the latest in
formation of the movements of pro-
fessional criminals might be made
available for all the police forces of
the United Kingdom"
Commissioner Henry's report, which
is of the operations of the year 1913,
covers a district embracing radius
Of 10 miles from Charing Cross,
excluding the City of London proper,
with its population of 1867. The
area included is 699.42 square miles,
for which there is force of 21.020
men. This compares with 1888 men
for the 1858 square miles of New
York London having 80 men per
square mile and New York 80.
Save for some notable exceptions
police activities in London and New
York run along closely similar lines
IL the reports of the two departments
speak truly In crimes of violence
New York goes far ahead, but in Lon
don three and one-half times as many
arrests for drunkenness are made.
With petty larceny London is far in
the lead, but burglaries are three
times as numerous in New York.
In the matter of killings, however,
London has a record that is amazing
in its contrast to that of New York,
Commissioner Henry says in his re-
port:
Twenty-Five cases of the killing OF
persons above one year of age were
reported, as compared with "a in
1912. In Ii cases arrests were made,
and In nine the slayers committed
suicide. One person apprehended
two homicides. OF the II
persons apprehended 1.-TWO in one
case) five were convicted and sen.
fenced to death. four were found to
be guilty but insane, and three were
acquitted"
Even when the 3S cases of man
slaughter in London are included,
New York's page is black, for during
1913 there were $50 cases of homi-
eide here. Arrests were made in 35l
Of these cases. go convictions being
secured. and "a cases pending at the
end OF the year.
During 1913 New Workers made
of 9,163 burglaries. 1884
arrests being made and 1,234 convic
tons being secured. OF the condition
In London. Commissioner Henry says
"A decrease of 20 In the number
of burglaries has to be recorded, the
being 81. as against 3Sl i'm
1912, while the figures for 1911 were
459. HOUSEKEEPING increased by 81.
the numbers being 1867 as compared
with 1,570 in 1912 Approximations de
creased by 30, and convictions by
49,"
Some of the other contracts in the
two reports are between New York's
2l,727 arrests for drunkenness and
London's 1922; New ,Yorks 740
cases OF attempted suicide and Lon
don's 553 New Yorks 90 cases of
arson~and London's Il5; New York's
4444 arrests for felonious assault and
London's l16; New York's 127 arrests
for assaults on officers and London's
2,759; New Yorks 4,507 arrests for
petty larceny and Londons 1892
Good work has been done during
the year" the report says, "by the
special staff employed TO cope with
the evils Of the white slave traffic,
and Il lady has been permanently APP.
pointed whose assistance is available
in all suitable cases"
A vivid picture is given OF traffic
conditions in London by the commits
sioner The number of fatal acct.
dents for which vehicles we're respon
sible was COS. as compared with 53S
in 1912 and 426 in 1911. The mum.
Der OF persons injured was 1906, as
compared with 20.166 in 1912 and 49,
749 in 1911.
The total number OF licenses is
sued for cabs and stage carriages in
creased TO 1910 I'm 1913 from 1856,
the commissioner says. Horse
drawn carriages show a decrease Of
706, the number being made up OF 49,
hansoms. 27l four-wheeled caus, 23i
horse-drawn omnibuses and 90 horse
drawn tramway cars. There was a
total increase of 31S motor cabs and
GA motor omnibuses. Among the
carriages licensed in 1913 there were
1878 new vehicles. OF which only
seven we're horse drawn"
The number OF taximeters tested
during the year was 20.OQ6. and the
number OF reflections was 36S. The
cab standing accommodation" OF the
district. exclusive OF the city Of Lon
don and at the various railway sta
tions. is for 6g44 cabs
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