The Washington herald., 1916-10-21
The Police in Sunderland.

A thief entered fashionable shop in the down
town district on Wednesday afternoon and said
he wished to purchase suit OF clothes for his
wife, an invalid who could not journey downtown
to do her own shopping. He selected several suits
and left, accompanied by an employe of the store
whose duty was to bring back the suits or the
money they were worth. The thief and the store
employe entered carriage and were driven to a
tailor shop where the invalid wife was supposed
to be waiting to have the suits fitted. The wife
was not there and the thief asked the employe if
she would enter the carriage, drive to his home
and inform his wife that he was waiting in the
tailor shop for her. The employe said she could
not leave unless she took the clothes with her.
Then the thief said that he would go after his
wife himself. He departed leaving the clothes in
possession of the employe. He did not return.
The employe realized the man had attempted a
swlndle and the police at were notified, and
asked to inform other business men of the at
tempted theft so that they might be on their
guard
Two hours later the thief entered another
downtown shop that makes a speciality of selling
women's fine apparel The man tried the same
trick and It worked. He got away with four valu-
able suits OF clothes when the employe sent with
him to guard them left the clothes in order to
inform the invalid wife that her husband was
waiting for her. Had the manager of the store
Heen notified that such a thief was operating in
Washington the trick could not have been operat-
and it is probable that the thief wosld have
been caught
In the two hours that elapsed between the ap-
pearance of the thief in the two stores the officials
at police headquarters had ample time in which to
notify all Of the shops in Washington in which
the thief likely would attempt his trick There is
an auto ar the disnosaI ~ noIirH officials in yvh
detectives could have been sent to notify the mer-
chants. There is a telephone at police headquar-
tiers over which clerk could have flashed the
warning There are score Of policemen in the
downtown section who could have been instructed
through police patrol boxes to give the news to
the stores. There other agencies through
which the police could have frustrated the swndler
on Wednesday afternoon. But the warning to
merchants not sent out until Thursday morn
ing.
Is such dereliction Of duty the kind Of efficiency
that is to be expected Of the police department?
Is such bungling the kind Of protection that is to
be expected by the merchants Of this city? Is
such crime to be regarded by the police as less
serious than minor nfractons of traffic regua-
tons?
These questions may very properly be asked
by the business men Of Washington who have
right to expect efficiency in the police depart,
ment. It is as much the duty Of the police to pre-.
vent crime as it is to apprehend the persons who
commit crime In this the police had an
excellent opportunity to prevent a crime but did
not take advantage OF their opportunity Now they
face the difficult task Of catching the thief task
that may cost hundreds of dollars and consume
several months and then not be accomplished un-
less the fugitive is victim OF the chance that is
called hard luck.