Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-01-23
in JUSTICE TO CITY

Police Burke, which has just been submitted to the Board of
Aldermen, and the report made by the Red Cross Investigators
who made q survey of this city early in December. While the
Red Cross did not make the detailed report of its investigation
public, q mass meeting of citizens was called to hear what the
visitors had to say-or what they deemed wise to say-after
they had been here a week.
At this mass meeting, according to the report of the gath
ering as published December 8, it was stated, among other
things, that about 800 children, it is estimated by the judge,
have passed through the local police court since January 1,
1919. and twenty of these were sent to New Brunswick one
third Of these children are under twelve years old and almost
all charges were d~isorderly conduct or malicious mischief
This statement about delinquent children in Perth Amooy
caused considerable comment and not a little concern among
thinking persons, realizing the seriousness of the situation
Now comes the official report of the chief Of police in
which he says that Of the 1891 arrests made during the year
1919, but 249 were Juveniles and of these 249, thlrty-one were
under ten years and 28 between ten and fifteen years HERE'S
great difference between the report made by the fd gross m-
vestipators and the official records of the local police court.
True, the Red Cross says the juvenile delinquents are trled
in two courts, one in this city and one in New Brunswick, and
it also escapes direct responsibility by declaring tnat tho uS'
ures it gives are the estimation of "the judge The fact that
two courts are mentioned might mean that "the judge IN
nueshon is either the Judge Of the local police court or the
indoe of the county court. But the fact that the hed CroSS
saws that 800 children have passed through the local police
court" would indicate that the information came from Feri
Amboy. ~
But in the light of actual facts as shown by the annual re-
port of the chief of police we can hardly believe that e"oFuef
Pickersgil INDUCED in any such wild estimation d lie '"'
Gross investigators seem to put up to him. At' II IS h"f"S
To be supposed that any such thoroughly reliable organization
as the Red Cross would be so reckless as TO 1aSteh on '' oN'
4bs STIGMA Of having 500 children arraigned in the local pohee
court in a single year when the official record 'aAen hion inv
nol;ce hotter shows but 29 for the entire year.
NJ no+tor would not be seriously considered now that
off;oio1 fonres = before us were it not for the fact that te
Red Cross canvass was conducted by the national organlzauoh'
Prominent social workers were brought here from 0ie
parts of the country and the report OF the survey s io0'"
on file at the national headquarters of the Red cross where "
can be examined by anyone who cares to take IN QUIZ !"
look at it. .ooio
Now if this report which is, in a sense, a GUIDE O. I'LL Sooi@A
work Of the Red Cross in all industrial centers, is constantly
beinv referred to by social workers everywhere IN MS
uo.a that some 500 children here passed through the local
no,ice court, in a single year, whereas the Official hgureS
show but 24e juvenile delinquents, a great injustice Is done
Perth Amboy and some steps should be taken to strengthen
out the matter.
A serious mistake has been made somewhere and owing
To the prominence given the Red Cross records, it ought to be
rectifed.
Perth Amboy does not pose as an ideal city and There IS
M Doubt that there Is much room o. improvement "i"9
every line. but we do not want to be made out any worse than
we are.
To have it spread throughout the country that we hd
800 juvenile delinquents when, as a matter OF fact, we hd
but 249 is unjust. We are sure that the fairness OF the he'd
Cross will gladly correct any false impression it is giving out
regarding Perth Amboy once its attention is called to 1t. bS
no doubt much injury has already been done.
Chief Burke brings out other interesting facts in his re-
port to the alderman. He makes out a strong ease in favor OF
eplarging the police 4orce. 1t seems almost increditable that
out of a force of fifty men there are on an average OF only
eighteen for regular patrol duty. But a careful reading OF
the report shows that this is true. This, as the chief says, IS
entirely too small for a city o. this size. 1t is a question,
however, whether the men could not be distributed SO as to
give more for patrol duty.
One thing the chief did not mention, but which must
receive the consideration of the city before long is the estab-
lishment of an additional precinct in another part of the city.
/ Perth Amboy is getting too large to have, its police affairs
run exclusively from police headquarters. With the enlarge