Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-12-15
FAVOR STATE POLICE.

in New JtAEtN tAhN
:, Tho northwestern section of the state. Similar
..,ion has already been taken by the farmers
organizations OF South Jersey.
The North Jersey farmers have been arouseu
since thew have learned that the highways north
of Trenton are being used by criminals MOTORING
,o,vesn New York and Pennsylvania. These
highways through Warren, Hunterdoh anu
souorset counties are less used than those
traversing the lower sections of the state ana
oon.eouentIv are considered safer roads for
bandit cars to travel.
while the criminal record OF the past year
indicates that the majority of the crimes witnin
tho state committed by outside talent have
occurred in South and Central Jersey, recent
bappenings suggest that the "crime zone is
widening out. With increasing frequency are
met motoring parties whose character suggest
tba, they are composed of persons more de-
sirous of escaping attention than the style IN
which they travel would suggest. They are en-
xountered speeding across the highways OF the
northern section into Pennsylvania or travel
ing in the opposite direction and so arrange
their schedule that rarely are they compelled TO
rop within the state. The most local con-
stables can do II to telephone information OF
their presence along the route once their sus-
picions are aroused.
Both New York and Pennsylvania have excel
sent system of state police and a wonderful work
has been done in decreasing crime, tracing
criminals and making those commonwealth
safe for law-abiding people to live in. The very
location of New Jersey, situated, as it is. be-
tween two of the largest cities in the country.
furnishing a playground for both, is sufficient
reason in itself for having a state police force
that will be ever on the alert for the lawless
characters that make these great centers of
population their headquarters.
Within the last few years the crimes COM
nitted in rural communities have made life
outside the more thickly settled sections ex-
lremely precarious. The average town con-
stable is a joke and even at best he is seriously
handicapped not only because of the small area
in which he has jurisdiction, but because of a lack
Of cooperation with the police authorities in
he other parts of the state.
Over in Union county where there have been
series of highway robberies and hold-ups, the
people have organized a. committee on public
safety headed by the sheriff and composed OF
The police chiefs and mayors of the different
municipalities Residents OF Plainheld, West
reld, Crawford. Summit and Springfield find it
dangerous 10 travel rum OHe pidCe " dhoIiSi
after dark because of the bandits. The hold ups
do not occur within the town limits. They take
place on the highways connecting these places.
In commenting on the situation the Elizabeth
Journal says:
Automobile bandits have little to fear from
policemen outside the boundaries of the larger
towns and cities of Union county, or any other
county in New Jersey. and they know it full
well. They are assuming small risk in plying
their trade and taking easy money out of the
pockets of those whose business takes them out
at night. Perhaps the people OF New jersey
will some day awaken to the necessity Of or
ganizing a force OF state motorcycle policemen
to patrol main roads. The business OF banditry
will be discouraged only when the outlaws find
out that they are likely to meet well-armed and
alert policemen in even the most out-of-the-way
places"
But regardless of what precautions the peo-
pie of Union county may take, it is of little con-
Germ to Middlesex county or Somerset county or
Essex county. There is no cooperation so that
with only a step from one county into the other
all the efforts of the committee of public safety
in Union county count for naught.
with a state police force. however. composed
of experienced men mounted or on motor cycles.
and on call from any pert of the state and al
ways patroling the highways of the state. any
crime committed anywhere within the limits of
New Jersey Immediately becomes the concern of
the authorities covering the whole state, and
no matter where the crime is committed the
machinery is at once set in motion to get the
criminals wherever they may be found.
Labor organizations have heretofore been able
TO block the effort to establish a state force
claiming that its primary object is to prevent
strikes. But this argument Is losing its effective
ness. OF course. wherever there is trouble there
terferred with unless lawlessness is started. II
tawlessness occurs in a city the city police force
IS on duty. If it occurs in a rural district the
herif is called upon to furnish deputies. and
heriff's deputies.
But doing duty in times of labor disturbances
is such an Insignificant part of the work of the
state police compared with preventing crime
that the people are realizing that tina. is nc
longer worth considering. Conditions under
which we are living today demand a highly or
ganized police force to cover the entire state.
AS the farmers in the northwestern part OF
the state point out. the 1920 bandit is a com
paratisely modern product. Not that he diff.
fers materially from his predecessors in his pur.
poses, but that In executing them ne adopts al