New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-03
For Better Law Enforcement.

For Better Law EnIOrCeHleTt'
The Appropriations committees OF the
Legislature are scheduled to vote TINS
week on the Horton Wells bill for the crea-
tion Of a state police. This measure
should be reported favorably to the two
houses and adopted. 1t embodles policy
which would represent long step for
ward in the ability Of New York State to
enforce its laws and protect its citizens.
Chief among the objections raised 10
this hill Is the question Of cost. Obviously,
the creation of Department Of State 70
lice, the equipment and maintenance OF the
force would involve considerable expense.
The bill calls for an appropriation CT
100000 for the initial cost Of equipment
and the maintenance charges for the first
wear of It's existence. That sum would De
we'll spent, if the experience Of Pennsyl-
vania with It's state police is any guide FOR
this state.
At present there are few, if any, coun-
ties in rural New York without a list OF
crimes whose perpetrators remain undis-
covered and unpublished. These range
from crop thefts to highway robbery, ar
son and murder. The county officers are
handicapped in handling such cases by
lack of appropriations and employees spe-
,iallv trained TO combat professional GRIM
inals. Municipal police forces are limited
in their jurisdiction, and have their hands
full In their respective cities. Miles on
miles Of suburban and rural territory go
unpatrolled by any officer of the law, and,
for all practical purposes, are unprotected
This is an invitation TO criminals. In
Pennsylvania, with its four troops OF con-
stabulary quartered in different parts of
the state, patrolling thousands Of miles OF
rural roads in the year, the criminal has
no such immunity from speedy pursuit by
specially trained and equipped skilled
officers Of the law. A suspect there, when
caught, has no good chance of beating the
prosecution if he happens to be guilty, be-
cause the evidence against him is obtained
by policemen who know the law and the
rules Of evidence, and prepare case
which will hold. The high percentage Of
convictions to arrests established there
proves that. The net result is discourage
ment of crime and a high order of eff
cheney in the administration of justice,
with a consequent security Of life and
property, and inevitably saving Of ex-
pense for the public.
Objections to this measure from the
professional labor element may be dis
missed as based largely on transformation
or bias. It is yet to be proved that the
work of the Pennsylvania state police has
been influenced by any class feeling or by
politics. There is no reason for belief that
the members Of the force take sides in any
strike for or against the employers or en-
ployes. Their duty is to preserve the
peace and suppress disorder, wherever 1t
originates. They are not half so likely TO
precipitate riots and killings as the militia,
unused to police duty, or the private
guards hired by corporations-men like
those who, at Roosevelt, \. j., shot strik-
ers in the backs as they were running
away from an alleged riot. No body Of
men under state enlistment and control
could conceivably get itself into such a
mess.
A state police force would benefit not
only those sections Of the state which 1t
actually patrolled, but would help even the
metropolis. Many criminals wanted here
flee upstate, and are lost for lack of ade-
quate agency to cooperate with the police
here. Merchants and manufacturers with
plants or business connections upstate
would be benefited by better law enforce
ment and protection against crime.
Behind this measure there is a big public
sentiment, approving its principle. 1t
ought to be written on the statute books
this year without fail.