New-York tribune., 1919-06-21
Believe Publicity Will Put
Public ON Guard and
Prevent Many Robberies;
Police Are Not Blamed
Burglary Wave General
One Concern Has Had
Several Large Losses
Lately, Its President Says

Officials Of buglar insurance COM
panies in this city took issue yesterday
with Mayor Hylan's theory that pub
ed that they believed the exact oppo-
site to be true. The more that is
printed concerning crimes, they. said,
the more the public is kept on guard
and the fewer burglaries, hold-ups and
other acts of violence are committed.
While admitting that the city was
overrun by lawbreakers of all kinds,
officials were inclined to attribute this
to the unsettled economic conditions
following the war.
An official of the United States Cas-
eve have little, if any, fault to find
with the Police Department Of the city.
There are various reasons for the pres
ent crime wave here. The unsettled
industrial situation is one. In the
opinion of our officials the policy of
secrecy in this matter pursued by the
city administration is not desirable.
Publicity would go long way in cut
ting down the number of crimes and
burglaries, for it would tend to put
persons on their guard"
Big Burglaries Kept Secret
That many big burglaries are kept
secret by the Police Department was
evidenced in the statement made by
William B. Joyce, president of the Ma
tional Surety Company, who said
large sums recently on policies cover
ing losses. Mr. Joyce refused, how
ever, to criticise the Mayor for the
policy of secrecy, stating that the
Mayor was the best judge of what
policy to pursue.
Following are the questions put to
Mr. Joyce and his replies:
Q.-"What do you think Of the crime
wave, as it affects surety companies,
burglary insurance companies, etc"
A.-"The present crime wave is not
confined to New York City, by any
means; apparently it is all over the
United States, and is the natural out
come of nom employment"
Q.-"What do you think of the policy
Of secrecy of the Mayor"
A.-"The Mayor, undoubtedly, is in
position to determine whether it is
better to have publicity or secrecy, but
should say publicity would be more
advisable. When we know an enemy
is in our midst we usually take the
necessary precaution to protect our
selves"
Experience Satisfactory
Q.-"What has been your experience
with the Police Department in recent
months ?"
A.--"The' experience has been most
satisfactory. The department has been
combating a situation unparalleled in
this generation, and it is not to be
expected that an entirely satisfactory
situation would exist"
Q.-"Do you observe any particular
deterioration in the Police Department
as at present constituted, compared
with that of the previous administra-
ton"
A-"Not at all Recently this COM
pany has sustained and paid several
large losses, running between $4,000
and S40,000 and the Police Department
has made recoveries in two cases where
it is clearly shown that the recoveries
would not have been made had not
great skill and ability been employed.
For instance, in one case $4,000 in
Liberty bonds was stolen from a firm
in this city. We paid the loss. In
less than ten days the Police Depart
ment recovered the whole amount"
Refuses to Criticise Profess,
Q-"So you woulu say that the pro-
test on the part of certain part of
the press, at least, against thu Police
Departments secrecy would be uniusti
fled ?"
Al would not care to 90 on rec
ord as saying protest is or is not
warranted, because | am unfamiliar
with cases other than those that como
under our own observation"
Q-"Would you care specifically to
give some of the losses you have sus-
tanned recently? 2"
A-"Our business is strictly conf
Dental. We would welcome an oppor-
tunity to advertise the fact that we
had paid many large losses, but our
patrons prefer that such facts be treat
ed contidentially"
Q-"But you will say that you have
sustained several large losses publicity
to which was given neither by the
Police Department nor your COM
pany?"
Awe cannot fairly answer that
question, because we do not know what
publicity has been given by the Po-
lice Department, but we have seen ar
tlcles in the papers reporting burg
laries where we were the insurers. No
doubt the city officials have strong ad-
mlnistrative reasons for giving no pub
llclty in certain instances