New-York tribune., 1920-11-30

case and after the number had been
entered in the book the card would be
sent to Headquarters
The progress being made by the man
working on the case was noted in the
hook and also Oh the caro- a, Head
quarters and in this wav it was posi-
bic to make an accurate survey of the
work of every detective in the bureau.
Two Conferences a Year
Twice year Commits sioner Wood S
called into conference the Deputy Com
missioner in charge Of the Detective
Bureau, Inspectors Cray and Faurot
and all branch captains. At these con-
ferences a systematic review of the
record of each detective would be made
and this would include checking up
of the number of cases to which he had
been assigned, the character of the
work accomplished, the number Of
arrests, convictions and acquittals.
Such q review was simplified by the
use of the cards turned in from the
various branches. These cards were
SO arranged as to indicate whether a
desk lieutenant or a captain in the
branch service had been discriminating
against a detective. When such was
shown to be the case the offending of
Following these conferences there
was usually general reorganization of
the entire detective bureau and those
first grade men who had failed in their
work were reduced in rank to make
room for the promotion of second
grade detectives who had made good.
Second grade men who had failed were
sent back to the uniformed force
Branch commanders, when their work
h proved to be unsatisfactory, either
were transferred or returned to the
uniformed service.
This service was vigorously followed
In the detective bureau and in the
other special squads, as was also the
policy Of transferring from one squad
to another ths men whose value had
diminished because their identity had
become too we'll known to the par
tlcular crooks against whom they had
been working.
Under Commissioner Woods the
heads Of special squads not only were
given free hand in the detection of
crime. but also in the prevention of it.
A great deal : attention was devoted
to this latter phase of police work.
Inc latitude extended to the bomb
squad, under Inspector Tunney, was
practically. unlimited, and it was pos
took them out OF town.
The squad commanders followed a
po'icy of not waiting for the criminals
TO take the initiative. The work of
Inspector Tunney's men is a fair ex-
ample OF this method. There were
members Of the bomb squad who were
assigned to the work of keeping in
constant tyuch with radical groups
Which were suspected of planning
bomb outrages. In this way they were
able to obtain information before
crimes were committed, and had time
10 take steps to prevent them.
When Lahey became Second Deputy
Police Commissioner the branch de-
tective bureau system was abolished
and the wrecking of the macltne which
Arthur Woods had created was begun.
Enright and Lahey at once went back
to the old system of apportioning de-
tectives among the station houses
throughout the city, with COM
mander in each inspection district. In
other words, they created, without the
title, q detective inspector, and as
signed him to the same office used bv
the uniformed inspector. In addition
to this they placed an acting captain in
each precinct.
The trained crime investigators who
had been attached to the various
b'anch detective bureaNs were scat
tered throughout the ciH and confined
70 the precincts to which they were as
signed, Under the present order no
detective is permitted to leave his pre-
cinct unless in actual pursuit Of
criminal.
The central office, situated at Police
Headquarters, was then abolished, and
the big detective desk is now handled
by one man, who answers telephone
calls and advises people where a de-
teetivc may be found
A call for detective must now be
rclayed through Headquarters to the
precinct from which the call comes.
When the person making the cali is
connected with the proper precinct he
must ask for the Detective Division,
ard he is then switched onto an eX-
rooms assigned to the detectives.
Even after all these formalities have
been gone through it is not at all Ger
tain, If the call is made at night, that
a detective will be found available, as,
under thes present Enright-L Lahey sys-
tenn Of scattered forces, there are sell
dom more than two plain clothes men
on duty in any precinct after 10 p. NJ.
These men work hard, put in long
hours and are usually engaged in try.
ing TO handle the duties Of a half dozen
detectives They have 80 many in
vestigations on their hands that they
are seldom in touch with the station
houses TO which they are attached.
There are no members Of the special
squads on duty at Police Headquarters
az ight under the present system un-
less they are working on some special
case. and in this event they arc not
available for an immediate assign
ment. This makes it necessary for the
precinct detectives to cover crimes that
involve night work until the experts
can be reached at their homes.
The Bomb Squad still exists, but in
name only. The organization Of
trained operatives built up by Inspector
Thomas J. Tunncy has been shattered
and rcorganizcd. Tunney himself was
in effect forced into retirement by
Comm iseioner EnriRht, although the
inspectors record proved him to be
the clevercst bomb expert in tho de-
partment.
When the United States entered the
World War Inspector Tunney entered
the service Of the army intelligence
uncr y leave Of absence granted by
Com missioner Woods His record in
the army resulted in his promotion to
the rank Of lieutenant colonel.
When the leave Of obscnce granted
by Woods expired, Inspector Tunncy
applied TO Comm saioncr Enright, ut
tho cxprens request Of the government,
for an extension Of time. According
to the most authoritative information