New-York tribune., 1920-12-06


in .ne last eleven months is to say
domcthinf that il not true
# would like to know what the Oh
Ject is in printing these sensational
stories ot crime waves To this the
Commissioner added hastily. "Of
course, / do know what the object IS.
know why these stories are being
printed
"Why g7 asked Tribune representa-
tive.
Just leave that to me, replied the
Commissioners Just leave that to me-
Attention Diverted
When asked if anything pertaining
to The Tribune's crime Investigation
had been communicated to him by wire
les on sh hptoard. Nh. l,nright asserted
that he had lot heard anything about
the stories
"Wil you go over The Trbune's ar
tclcs dealing with the crimc wave
/ the Commissioner was asked.
His reply was:
"If rad and replied TO all the
vaporings put out by gentlemen who
arc paid to write such stuff | would
have to hire corps Of assistants to
check up on statistics.
The Comm ssioner was asked whether
! mis- Office Was not supposed to keep on
/ hand q complete record of all crimes
committed in the city, but passing
steamer diverted his attention and he
failed to roply.
when Informed that survey made
recently by The Tribune had shown
that out of total Of twenty-siX police
precincts IN the city only one was able
10 turn out it's full quota OF men for
! = r. ,,(ri1+ r11-
trolmen now were covering territory
that was formerly guarded by from two
/ to four men, Commissioner Enright
seemed surprised. He asked where
these precincts were, and was informed
that one was tha Twenty ninth Pre-
clnct Cast 51st Street, known as the
"Diamond Back District', where the
late tour on the night of The Trlbunc's
I investigation was short thirteen men.
Several other precincts were specified
for his benefit.
"There is no doubt that VIC could
use more men in the force.' asserted
the Commissioner "Sickness and the
fact that many men who should have
taken their vacations during the sum
mer are taking them now, because Of
the recent b. K. I. strike. probably ac-
counts for depleted squads
81 asked for $50 men in the budget
and was allowed 800. We are now using
about seven thousand men on patrol.
There Will always be men sick and on
vacations, but despite this fact New
York j. we'll policed and protected. 1t
is the best polced city in the world"
Soft Details
The Commissioner was then informed
that Tribune reporters had been told
by ommanders in various precincts that
the shortage OF men was due to the
fact that so many patrolmen were on
"soft detajs'
THAT is not true" declared Mr. En-
right. "There are fewer details now
than ever before. 1t is d fact that we
have large number Of men in raided
premises. but these are mostly GONZALES
cents, who are not able to do patrol
work and would not be on duty at all
if assignments Of this type were not
given them. You must not forget that
we average about 700 men day on va
cations"
When asked if he would furnish Bor-
ough President Curran with a list Of
police details which the latter asked
for at recent budget hearing, Com
missioner Enright said he did not think
he would
"And, besides,' he added, "Mayor Hy-
Ian never gave me any such instruc-
tons
When asked if he thought the pre-
valling crime wave could be attributed
TO the disbanding Of the branch detec-
tive bureau system organized by ex-
Police Commissioner Arthur Woods, Mr..
Enright said.
The detective system to-day IS more
efficient than it has ever been. and the
records will prove that the men have
been doing good work I think it would
be hard to improve on our detective
force
"Isn't it fact that the special
squads, such as the Bomb SQuaG. Safe
and Loft Squad, Pickpocket Squad and
others, have been largely disorga nized
and the trained men who once made up
their personnel sent back into the uni
formed service or transferred to duty
for which they are untittod?" the Com
missioner was asked
"Mr. Woods disorganized the bamb
squad before he lie the department bv
turning it over to the government" !"
the Commiss oner declared. "When /
took Office | had to reorganize it. 1t
! - stll the bomb squad and has been
doing fine work. The men who were
taken out of the squad were retired or
transferred for cause. Every one Of
the special squads is doing good work"
Promises Public Statement
The Commissioner was told that
lhe Tribune had learned that members
OF the bomb squad were serving sum-
mohses on spitters on Staten Island