New-York tribune., 1921-11-28
City Viceless,
Crime Cl1rbed.
Says Enrigllt
Commissioners, in Annual
Report, Reiterates Attacks
on <sHostilc Press and
the Almirall Grand Jury
Whitman Is Denounced
Newspaper Reports Give
Public an Erroneous View
of the Situation, He Ayers

Vice and gambling are non-existent
Az New York, crime has materially de-
creased and the morale of the Police
Department has reached point of eff
cheney never before attained, according
to the department report for 1920, made
public yesterday by Commissioner
Richard E. Enright.
This record was made despite the
"hostile press" the attacks launched
Shy the Citizens Union, the Almirali
grand jury, Special Attorney General
William Rand, Ex-Governor Charles S.
Whitman and those of opposing polit-
s1cal faith, according to Mr.. Enright.
The report covers sos pages, prefaced
by full-psge Photograph of the Mayor.
There are pages of photographs of the
Commissioner and his deputies-regu-
las and special-of various precincts,
etc.
Touching on she vice and gambling
Situation, Enright says that he found,
when he became Commissioner, GIG dis
orderly hotels and other houses of ILL
xepute and twenty-four gambling
houses in full operation without In
reference by the police. Since 1918
he has succeeded in closing all such
dives, the report advises the Mayor.
The Almiran grand jury came in for
"a lengthy attack in the report. Enright
charges that the jury moved it's head
3d.
sixth Street of Raymond Aimirall, its
foreman, who, Enright fatty says, was
in the employ of the Interborough Rap
id Transit Company.
Department Records Seized
Police Department records were
seized and have never been returned,
ne alleges, despite the fact that he has
pleaded that the less of such records
has seriously interfered with the work
of the department. He says that many
Of the seized records We're never used
and are or were found in the possess
sion of Assistant District Attorney
James E. Smith, who was affiliated with
she work of the jury.
Commissioner Enright charges that
Z the failure to return tAe papers and
the manner in which they were con-
fscated constitute q crime that should
engage the attention Of the District
: Attorney, Another angle OF the attack
on the Almirall grand jury finds for
its target Deputy Attorney General
William Rand who prosecuted In
spector Dominick Henry on a perjury
charge. Enright accuses Rand Of using
the newspapers to poison the mind of
the public, so that it was impossible
for Henry to get fair trial. He says
verifcation of his charge is found in
the reversal of Henry's conviction by
the higher courts.
Without mentioning him by name,
Mr. Enright slams Ex-Governor Whit
man, who, at the suggestion of Dis
trict Attorney Swami, conducted an in-
vestigation of the police and other city
departments and brought about the in
dictment of almost all the Police De-
partment automobile squad on grating
charges. He intimates that the method
of conducting the investigation was an
outrage, and that the men under sus.
picion should be Immediately tried or
acquitted in order chat they could re-
turn to their regular duties.
Newspapers Are Denounced
The newspapers no names men
tioned--are lambasted in three differ
ent sections Of the report. 1t i
charged by the Commissioner that the.
deliberately misrepresented police con
ditions for large number of reasons
the most common being political.
Newspaper stories of crime wave
are particularly condemned by Mr.. En-
right. This, he says, gives New Yor
an unenviable reputation Throughout
the world, keeps away from the cit
the trade needed in maintaining it
commercial supremacy and causes out
f-towners who would ordinarily com
kA~ FAr rfal, ~
plans, fearing their persons and pror
erty to be in grave danger.
Regarding the crime wave, the Con
h missioner quotes statistics to prove h
case that there never was any sue
thing; that newspaper stories teliin
of such things were the brain childre
of the reporters assigned by the "col
trolled press"
Denies Crime Wave
And Immediately thereafter he a,
nounces that to combat the increase
crime during 1920 he had appointed
committee to check up on investig
tons of violent crimes and to keep
touch with the insurance compani,
most vitally interested in hold-up
burglaries, etc. Its report was r
ceived too late to ne incorporated
the summary of the years work, El
right added.
During 1920, Commissioner Enrig
admits, the department managed to S
cure only twenty-nine convictions
the two hundred persons arrested f.
the 215 murders committed during Il
year. Ninety of those arrested we,
discharged by the courts and seycnt,
nine are still under detention.
Without going into details Of arres
and convictions, Mr.. Enright points O
that there were 7,45t burglares ar
robberies committed during last yea
about 5000 of which we've in res
dences. In this connection the Cor
missioner pleads for a tightening
the system in issuing chauffeur
licenses and taxicab permits, asks f
the cooperation of the public in ma
ing fat particularly duril
the day--more hazardous by careful
locking all doors and windows. +
urges, too, that the insurance unde
writer's be more careful in the ella
of risk they accept in order to stan
out what he terms fraudulent clair
of robbery made by the insured.
An interesting chapter in the repo
is devoted to missing persons. 1t shoy
that during 1926 4.204 males and "a
females were reported missing.
that number-6.670--th police four
5,221, or 1909 males and 1912 female
On the records Of the department the
remained missing at the end Of tl
year sixty-two males and forty-fo
females.
Despite the charges made again
his administration Mr. Enright sa
he L. - 49,.