The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-16
LOUIS P|z|Tz SHARP IN HIS CRITICISM OF . INEFFICIENT POLICE Second Burglary at His Store in Last Month
 Arouses His Ire PAGAN HAS DONE
 NOTHING, HE SAYS All Goods Stolen Bore Trade Mark and Name of Pizitz Store-Fails to Understand Why None Have
 Been Recovered

z Louis Pizitz proprietor of the Pizitg department store, in letter to Judge Lane under date of April 2q called n,s attention to the fact that his store was robbed on April IS and about $500 worth of merchandise stolen. none of which ha yet been recovered Yesterday mornin, one of the show csses located in the cn- trance of the store was burglarized and about $40 worth of silk shirts stolen. No. arrests for either of these robberies have been made by the police and Mir. Pizitz is indignant over that fact. His letter to Judge Lane follows:
 Letter to Lane
 Hon. A. O. Lane City
 Dear Sir: As you are in charge of
 the police department of our big city.
 and l am taxpayer. I wish to call
 your attention to the robbery of my
 store on April IS of between 5000 and
 $4oo0 worth of merchandise All the
 goods taken were branded I went to
 Chief Eagan about the robbery. but
 so far there has been nothing done
 about 1t. It seems to me that the
 man who robbed my store could be
 
 they were all branded.
 This robbery seemed to be a well
 laid plan. The door was broken open
 within 20 feet of the sidewalk. It
 seems to me that something should be
 done. I will thank you to look into the case personally and detail a spe-
 cial man to work on the case. Any as-
 sistance YOU can render me will be appreciated. Yours truly
 LOUIS PIzIrz.
 April 29, l9l5r
 In commenting on the above letter. MT. Pizitz said:
 You will notice that wrote to Judge Lane on April %, just II days after my store was burglarized. Since that time l have found that the thieves got away with about s5o00 worth of stuff instead of about 5000 worth All the goods stolen had the trademark of the makers IS well as the name of my firm imprinted there on. It's strange that the police have not made any arrests or even got on to any clews in this case A loss as big as mine should certainly be thoroughly investi- gated. The door by which the burglar or burglars entered is not more than 10 feet from the inside edge of the side walk. Undoubtedly the robbery was com mtted on a Sunday night. but it was not discovered until Monday morning, when the employees. came down to work am told that the officers on each beat are supposed to try all the doors at reg uar intervals. The question is. did the officer on that beat try the door by which the burglars entered and left It must have taken sometime for them to get all the goods they could carry away and Judging by the amount they took the bundles or loads must have been very large, yet no one seems to have seen them.
 'I don't mind stating openly that think the police force of this town is wholly incapable and inefficient It strikes me that the ambition of the de- partment is to arrest people on some t,fing charge and prosecute them instead of merely prosecuting them. I notice that great number of women have been ar rested. Is it not a hard job to arrest a woman. ard does it not require great detective abiityo
 don't think the citizens of Birming- ham are anxious to see these unfor- tunates dragged to jail nightly I do know that every citizen in this com munity wants to see those who are re- sponsible for all this robbery and thieving and murder arrested and brought to justice.
 The question is how long must we merchants and citizens stand bv and see our property stolen. our homes un- anu felRn4 or laWIpS SSneSS continue? Unless some radical changes in the policy of the police department are made. fear we will have a long time to wait
 "T understand that there Is n squad of men H.fmbering about eight who are detailed to arrest gamblers. vio- Intors of the revenue law. aud women. What I want to know Is how many men are detailed to protect the citizens of Birminghams don't know how many men the police department has detailed on the work of catching mur- derers. safe blowers. robbers, thieves md ptckp0cI<ets. hut I do know that nIl the work they hnve done for the prevention of such crime amounts tO little enough.
 If eight men are needed to arrest women I would like to know how many men are needed to catch desper- ate criminals? When the police called me up Friday night and told me tha I had been robbed again I laughed. not because my being robbed was a joke. but because I realized how little chance the thief had of being arrested
 ''l nm not the only one who has been robbed. There are lots of others, and if I am not believed. the citizens can go to the records of the police them selves. I think Birmingham has Q rotten police. force. I know in my case at least they have done absolutely nothing. I don't believe in numerous arrests on trivial charges.
 What I want to know is how and when are we going to get a real police 1ay, ri n, ant