The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-09
PARSONS WRITES ON
 CRIME CONDITIONS
Offers Suggestions to Gov ernor for Improving the
 DeplOrable Situation

NJ ". Parsons. constable of Beat s7 in Jefferson county, has written an open letter to the governor of Ala bama making suggestions about re- lieving crime conditions in Birming- ham. The letter reads:
 Having been a citizen of this coun- ty all my life, and having bagl an officer of the law for more than fif- teen years in Birmingham, I am nat urally interested in all movements looking to the better enforcement of the criminal laws in this community. and particularly those suggestions looking to the prevention of crime. In the beginning, 1t Is not my pur- pose in any way to reflect upon the sherifrs office or the police or detec- tive departments of the city. In view of the condition confronting them, and with the means at hand, am in posi- tion to know that all of these agencies have done most praiseworthy and val uable work
 But every intelligent observer knows the situation here. It is an extraordinary condition towards which there are many contributing causes which it is not necessary for me to discuss at this time. Ordinary means for the suppression of crime are in- adequate. And it is the purpose of this letter to call attention to the remedy rather than the reason of the present condition about which there has been so much complaint.
 "In passing, however, I might say, r;l the following: CD That so many ex- convicts are released upon this district CD Criminals naturally gravitate to Q live place like this from other sections. t3) The comparatively recent abolition of the red light or segregated district has served to scatter former inmates and such characters thereby creating numbers of foci in different parts of the city where every law is violated, criminals and vagrants are harbored, whisky kept and sold without license or regulation, and crimes are planned. t4 Negroes sentenced to various terms in the recorders court are put in the chain gang and numbers of them are sent to practically every residence in the city to remove the garbage. In this way they become thoroughly fla miliar with the dog, the cook, and the lay of the land. After thirty, sixty. or ninety days when reSeased without money or work, how easy is it for them to go back to a residence they have marked Some of these negroes serv- ing on the street gangs for a misde- meanor have been guilty of greater crimes which have not been detected, or at last fastened upon them.
 Now as to the remedy; If the state, the city, or the county, one or all, will furnish me from six to ten men, pre- l%1 to ha Cn1a frny 1a tive force or the sheriffs office, or both, for from thirty to sixty days, and furnish expense money which will be comparatively small Num, I will pro- ceed to investigate every dive. resort or suspicious place of any character in the district and will take a census Of all persons who have not some legiti- mate employment or means of liveli- ! hood. The criminal element wotea be ] forced to leave or submit to prosecu- tion for vagrancy or some other of fense The breeding places of crime would be eliminated. Of course, in a place of this size there will always be sporadic violations of the law. But in this way l can clean up the city and the district and cut the words "crime wave" out of the papers as applied to local happenings.
 Tn my judgment, the law is ample to meet the emergency; all that is lacking is more adequate means to en- force the law. Under my office and under the existing statutes, I would have ample authority to carry out the programme herein suggested. Tn ad- | dition to my work as an officer I have had considerable experience as a pri- vate detective.
 Tn conclusion, permit me to say that if the men and the means are furnished me for this purpose, I will devote from thirty to sixty days to this work with out any compensation whatsoever"