New-York tribune., 1920-11-30
Destruction of Detective
System Effected After
Vim. ]. Lahey Was Made
Deputy, Jan. "a, 1913
Experts Reduced or
Forced to Retire
New Bomb Squad Was Ar.
resting Spitters at Time
of Wall Street Blast

Strce January l in Neto York CITY:
There have been more thun S25 hold
npa rob5sries and thefts.
The property loss involved ts more
han sS,f00,o 900.
The unsoiycd murders alone total
more than 100.
The detective organization built up
BY ex-Polico Commissioner Arthur
Woods, recognized as an extremely eff
tective machine, has been broken up
gnder tie Enright administration. The
tunctionng of tie organization sub
s.!tuted for it is written in the rec
ord Of The one hundred murders un-
solved since the first of the year.
A survey OF the present detective
system reveals these outstanding fea-
.urcs:
The highly organized branch
bureau system has been abolished
and the central office at Police Head
quarters abandoned.
Tie special squads, to which very
important work was assigned by
Commissioner Woods, have been
either abolished or completely re-
organized.
Experts trained for special work
have been assigned to duties with
which they are not familiar.
The bomb squad, as it was organ
zed under Commissioner Woods.
no LONGER exists. Inspector Tunney,
formerly its head, has been forced
INTO retirement
The present bomb squad has not
made a single arrest in connection
Nth the Wall Street explosion Of
September 16.
On the day Of the explosion its
members we're serving summonses
on spitters on Staten Island ferry
boats.
Lahey's Part in Change
The dislntegration of the detective
organization built up by Commissioner
Woods began when william Lahcy
was appointed Second Deputy Commits
a'cner by Mayor Hylan on January "a
t8ls.
When Lahcy took cfice there vera
c-rnt branches Of the detective bureau
centrally located in various parts Of
she city They were highly organized
nd equipped with automobiles tc
AIRY detectives TO any part Of the
c.ty without loss of time.
Each branch of the bureau was in
charge Of lieutenant or captain and
each had a staff Of trained crime in.
vsstigatCrs who held the rank of first.
grade detective sergeant with q lieu
tenants pay. In addition to the de
ary force known as second -gr2le de-
tec.ives.
The various branches were under
she control Of the central caice, which
7as situated at Police Headquarters
md presided over by inspectors Faurot
and Cray
Also housed at Police Headquarter.
under the Woods regime were the
Bomb Squad of thirty-four men, unde,
command Of Inspector Thomas ]. Tun-
ney, assisted by Lieutenant George z
Parntz; the Safe and Loft Squad, made
lp Of about twenty men, who had ar
intimate knowledge Of the methods EN-.
oloyed by yeggs and loft thieves; the
Pichpocket Squad, commanded by De
tectiye Sergeant Frank Cassassa. VII,
lad working under MIN such experts as
Detective Lieutenant Richard McKennl
ana Sergearts Muggc and Gaynot; tax
Homicide Squad Of twenty men, com
manded by Acting Captain Arthur
Carey; tho Vice Squad Of twenty-five
men, commanded by Inspector Danic
J. Cost gan; the Narcotic Squad com
mandef by Acting Captain Sherb, anc
ne Automobile Squad.
The special squads worked twenty
.our hours 2 day and were Away
available in case of an emergency. The
men who made Up their personnel were
checked UP IN their duties by wht
w9s snown a. the Woods merit system
which called for the entering Of d
crimes N a blotter called the squea
BOOK When a crime was reported {
card bearing L serial number vould b.
Continued ,o page thres)