The Detroit times., 1914-12-26
Its Police Commissioner in Re-
port Tells of Motor Car Ban
dts and Burglars
ONLY rs KILLINGS WERE
COMMITTED THERE IN 1913
400 Homicide Cases Here-S11
Burglaries as Against 9,l63
in This City

New York and the yesgman. anu eaeA
activities have become great enough
TO merit these passages in the last
report OF K. r. Henry, commissioners
OF the metropolitan police OF london:
Three new factors have contribute
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 10 live an
orderly life In one part or London ana
commit his offenses in another, where
he is quite unknown; the spread OF
insurance against burglary. Wnlch
seems TO make the householder neg
lectful of simple precautions Tor the
safety OF his properly, and the gro"
ing use OF ornamental loaded panes
OF glass in hall doors, which can Do
displaced by the afternoon house
breaker sufficiently TO admit MS
fingers to the latch of the door.
"Profting by cheap fares and bet.
ter travelling facilities, the haoltuai
offender has begun TO find II pront'
able To move from town TO town COM
hitting offenses, and In order to cope
with this new development 1t was de-
cided to remodel the Police Gazette
and publish IL twice instead or once
weekly, In order that the latest IN
formation of the movements or pro-
fessional criminals might be made
available for all the police forces or
the United Kingdom"
Commissioner Henry's report, which
is of the operations Of the year 1913,
covers a district embracing radius
of Is miles from Charing Cross,
excluding the City Of London proper.
with its population OF 1857. The
area included is 699.42 square miles,
for which there is force OF 21.02O
men. This compares with 1888 men
for the 1868 square miles OF New
York, London having 30 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 farsahead, 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 10 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 IL cases arrests we're made,
and In nine the slayers committed
suicide. One person apprehended
committed two homicides. OF the IL
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
1918 there were $50 cases of homi-
eide here. Arrests were made in 351
OF these cases, 60 convictions being
secured, and "a cases pending at the
end of the year.
During 1913 New Workers made
complaint OF 9,163 burglaries, 1884
arrests being made and 1924 convic-
lions being secured. or the condition
In London, Commissioner Henry says:
"a decrease Of 20 in the number
Of burglaries has to be recorded, the
numbers being 81, as against 3S1 In
1912. while the figures for 1911 we're
459. HOUSEKEEPING increased by 81,
the numbers being 1867 as compared
with 1,570 In 1912. Apprehensions de
creased by 80, and convictions by
32."
Some of the other contracts in the
two reports are between New York's
,21,727 arrests for drunkenness and
Londons 7O,122; New Yorks 740
cases OF attempted suicide and Lon
don's $50: New York's 66 cases OF
arson and London's 49, New York's
4,444 arrests for felonious assault and
Londons 116; New York's 127 arrests
for assaults on officers and London's
1853: New York's 1907 arrests for
petty larceny and London's 1902.
Good work has been done during
the year" the report says, by the
special stan employed to cope with
the evils OF the white slave traffic,
and lady has been permanently APP
pointed whose assistance Is available
In all suitable cases."
A vivid picture Is given Of trafic
conditions I'm London by the commits
sioner. The number OF fatal acci-
dents for which vehicles were respon-
sible was COS, as compared with 53S
I'm 1912 and 426 in 1911. The num-
Der OF persons injured was 23,765. 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 in 1913 from IL Z.
the commissioner says Horse
drawn carriages show a decrease OF
zoe. the number being made up OF 1Sl
hansoms, 271 four-wheeled caus. 234
horse-drawn omnibuses and 20 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
.97S new vehicles. OF which only
seven were horse-drawn."
The number OF taximeters tested
during the year was 20.006. and the
number OF reflections was 36S. The
cab standing accommodation" OF the
district. exclusive OF the city OF Lon
| don and al the various railway sta.
tons. IN for 6944 cabs.
Col Edward 8. Cornell, secretary
OF the National Highways Protective
.rotofv roilad affaution raoanfiv 10