New-York tribune., 1920-12-20
Special Dispatch TO The Tribune


CHICAGO, Dec. 19.-There has not
been an unsolved murder IN the city
Of Chicago in the last month, nor a
payroll hold-up in the last six weeks.
The cells of the Detective Bureau are
filed to overlooking and the Police De-
partment has received enough convic-
tions in criminal cases to break the
record of prisoners at the Bridewell,
the city prison.
The explanation of this remarkable
record of the Police Department was
gwen tonight by Chief of Police
Charles G. Fitzmorrs to the corre-
spondent for The Tribune.
Chief Fitzmorris, former news
paper man and secretary to three
mayors, was at his desk, notwithstand-
ing the fact that it was Sunday He is
following out the policy he began sew
eral months ago, when he succeeded
Colonel John J. Garrity as police chief,
by getting down to work at s o'clock
and working longer hours than he de-
riands Of his men.
Duty to Prevent Crime
"Most police departments are organ
lied on the wrong basis" began Chief
Fitzmorris. They are only organized
to fight crime. l have reorganized this
one as crime preventive machine, as
we'll. I believe the Srst duty of the
Police Departm is to prevent crime.
People are awakening to this fact in
other hings-medicine and dentistry.
Why not in dealing with the worst of
a city's ilness-crime?
II believe the strongest factor to
prevent crime is the uniformed police
man, patrolling the street. I began by
abolishing all the soft snaps in the de-
partnent, the special details and the
swivel chair jobs. It has meant that
many holding the sinecures have re
signed, but this was, to my mind, the
best thing for the department.
II also Lad the city ordinance changed
so that detective could be put in uni
form when I wanted him in uniform.
also can take patrolman and put him
in plain clothes. This serves a twofold
purpose-it gives me the whole depart
ment from which to pick my plain
clothes men and it gives me chance
to put many surplus plairclothes men
on beats in uniform. In regard to this
last, I placed 900 more men on the
street Immediately after getting this
ordinance changed.
put the responsibility Of the districr
on the commanding officer of that dis
strict. I give him the right to pick his
own plain clothes men. subject, Of
course, to my approval.
Card Index Of Men
"And next I have established sys-
:1N- Il
most remarkable in any police depart
every patrolman in the city. I receive
a daily report on each patrolman, Tie
crimes committed on his beat and all
other details Of interest in connec-
tion with his work. In this way can
see whether there is a recurrence of
crimes on certain policemen's beats.
1t eliminates all chance of collusion be-
tween the policeman and the crook.
Il use this card index system to
make my promotions az we'll as to weed
out my undesirables. When find that
no crimes are committed on certain
policcman's beats 7 know that I have
trict, knows the residents of each
house, their business and their reputa-
tions.
"The patrolman is the basis of po~
lice department. 1t is the patro'man
Nnon whom the whole thing revolves.
He is a cog in an intricate machine, and
he must be a satisfactory cog
Not only does Chief Fitzmorris every
morning at 9 clock receive reports of
the crime activity on each beat, but he
learns who the detective sergeant is
who is assigned to that district and the
patrol sergeant who is supposed to check
every two hours on that patrolman's
work.
Chief Fitzmorris has already put fly
motorcycle patrol sergeant in the vari-
Gus districts and expects soon to have
100. These men call the central bureau
in relays of iifteen-minute intervals,
and thus the department. at all times
can send four motorcycle men to the
scene of any trouble.
"Chicago covers 200 square miles,"
continued the ch ief, "and we have but
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