New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-12
Woods to Wipe Out
Detective Bureau S
Only Weak Spot
In Reoreanizing Branch of Police Department Commits
.;on.r VIII Centralize Authority, Establish School
for Plain Clothes Men and Shift Clerical Work
By ARTHUR ]. McKENNA

The only weak spot in the admins
tration Of Police Commissioner Woods
Is to be eliminated.
Through changes made within the
last week and others soon to be an
nounced it is planned to wipe out the
shortcomings Of the detective bureau
so startlingly exposed in the Ruth
Cruger case and the investigations
that followed.
By the reorganization Commits
sioner Woods will rob Tammany Hall
Of It's most priced campaign issue-the
bungling in the Cruger case and the
failure to check the epidemic Of burg
lariss through which the city Is pass
ing.
The changes are expected 70 shstter
the rock Of internal strife on which
past administrations have been
wrecked, by creating a spirit OF har-
mony between the old-school detee-
tives and those who are being trained
in modern crime investigation
methods.
Briefly, Commissioner Woods will
eliminate most Of what Tho Tribune's
investigation, published on July 10,
showed to be contributory factors In
bringing about the conditions dis
closed by the Investigations result
ing from the finding Of Miss Cruger's
body buried in the cellar Of COcehfs
motorcycle shop.
The Tribune at tbs time gave as
those factors:
The division Of Administrative au-
thority over detectives; .
Lack of confidence on the part OF
detectives in their commanders
civilian and police;
Lack Of cooperation between the
uniformed force and the detectlve
bureau, resulting in there being in
reality two departments-one made
up of the uniformed men, whose duty
was confined TO patrol duty and
crime prevention; the other com
posed of crime Investigators;
Compelling detectives TO devote
too much time 10 statistical work IN
the form Of daily, weekly and month
ly reports;
TEN, under which detectives were as
signed 10 station houses.
Remedies Developed
The Tribune's investigation devel-
oped as remedies for existing condi-
tons:
A change Of system that would
result in there being one man in
absolute charge Of the detective bu-
reau, as in the days of Inspector Nc
Caferty:
The return to the precinct unit
system, whereby a detective was al
ways on hand TO meet citizens with
complaints, earning as his reward
chance of being transferred to
headquarters for good work;
The reestablishing of the one-time
famous special squads TO handle
homicides, burglaries, pickpockets,
ETC..
The simplifying of the report sys-
TEN, so that detectives could devote
almost all their time TO crime in
vestigation;
A change of system that would
permit detectives to go on float
ing assignment" for a period to be
decided by the head of the bureau,
in order TO familiarize themselves
with the habits of the criminals
whose activities they are charged
with checking.
Commissioner Woods by an investi-
cation extending over a period of
more than eighteen months found prac-
ticslly the same conditions as outlined
above. This probe was conducted
quietly and but few of the department
members knew il was going on. The
Investigators for the most part were
policemen of both branches of the