New-York tribune., 1920-11-07
Harmless" Defectiues
Clearing House Clinic Needed Il
Protect Public
o the Editor Of The Tribune.


Sir: Almost daily the public is
shocked by stories of crime committed
by mentally defective persons who have
been regarded by their neighbors and
associates, up to the time of committing
the criminal act, as merely simple" or
harmless" The recent double murder
committed by a supposedly Harmless"
mental defective in New Jersey and the
still more recent murder committed bv
another Harmless" mental defective in
Brooklyn indicate clearly that existing
laws and the usual police regulations
are Inadequate to safeguard the public
against harm at the hands of such
persons. The harmless mentally de-
tective person is always potentially
harmful, and society, by its tolerance
toward these unfortunates, actually
helps to make them a menace
1t IS by no means easy to define the
exact methods of legal control over the
mentally defective which should be es-
tablished by states or municipalities, and
y
control is needed now in this commu-
nifty. If the problem is to be solved at
all for New York City there must be a
new agency with legal power to regis
ter and examine all mental detectives
and to parole them or commit them to
institutions, as may be necessary The
Clearing House for Mental Detectives
created by Dr.. Max G. Schlapp at the
Post Graduate Hospital, and conducted
by him for several years past, has been
doing noteworthy work in safeguarding
the public, but the work Of this agency
has been seriously handicapped because
Of the failure Of the city government to
cooperate with and support it continu-
ously. The courts find the services of
this clearing house valuable and make
use of it 30 considerable extent for
the examination OF certain cases
brought before them. But this CO.
operation is voluntary on the part Of
the court, and, therefore, not very
effective.
1t is believed that such a clearing
house for mental detectives is most ur-
gently needed as a part of the munici-
pal government, wholly supported by
the government. Existing laws should
be amended and new ones devised TO
permit this agency to register all
mental detectives and to arrest them for
examination whenever this action is
necessary. Decision as TO the disposal
! OF mental detectives following their ex-
animation should be made by the clear
ing house in cooperation with the courts.
the police and the health authorities
The clearing house should work in close
cooperation with the police TO examine
also all persons arrested for violations
Of the law under circumstances ind;
eating that the arrested person is men
tally incompetent Such violati of
law as indecent exposure, sending in
false alarms of fire, wanton damage of
property and unprovoked assault may
and often do indicate that the offender
is mentally defective. The clearing
house should, Of course, examine all
cases referred to it by the courts and
should be represented in the courts
Some mentally defective persons may
be harmless and may be allowed to re-
main at home, at work, at school or
elsewhere under proper supervision and
direction, but determination on this
af-t H. Il - J
relatives or associates of the mentally
y, Elective person, or by a policeman,
s~.irt officer or jury of laymen. No one
but a skilled physician who understands
the problem of the mental defective
thoroughly is competent to determine
when, where or in what manner a men
tally defective person should be placed
under restraint or left at large. What
ever the need as regards such a person,
public control should begin before the
public generally recognizes him as a
menace to society, that is, before he has
committed crime.
1t is, perhaps, too much to expect
that any such service can be DEVELOPED
under the present administration, bu.
with the help of those who have had
experience in dealing with mental de-
fectives steps can be taken during
the coming year to organize munici-
pal clearing house for mental defec.
tives along the same lines as the Post
Graduate Hospital clinic.
DIR. Carl. e. M'COMB6.
New York, Nov. l, 1920. e