Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-29
CAPTAIN ALFRED SoUDER
On Protection Against Crime

TT IS becoming increasingly difficult for
L the criminal to commit a crime in the
large cities and get awny successfully, ac-
cording to Captain Alfred Souder. chief Oh
tho Detective Bureau of the City of PhlIa-
delphia.
THE great cities Of the country are
taking every possible precaution against the
professional criminal" said Chief Souder'
"and by giving each other the warmese Gu
operation, we are succeeding in making II
difficult thing for man to commit a serious
crime and escape punishment.
Each case that comes before our o"Feau
presents different conditions from those oi
every other case. Sometimes those "nlcn
on the surface look to be the most tooiisn
prove to be the hardest to solve ana other
apparently abstruse cases will prove reia-
lively easy OF solution. In case OF
crime, you simply never can tell.
1T is becoming harder and harder all the
time for the criminal to disappear absolutely.
The conditions of police work for the clearing
up Of crime are becoming better all the time
and as q result it is getting harder ana
harder for tho criminal. This situation, car
ried to its logical conclusion, will mean IN
time as much absolute control of crime by
the police as can be expected.
"Of course, there will always be crime
and there will always be criminals, but the
more frequently there is prompt de-
lection of the persons committing the Oh
fenses and an equally prompt punishment,
the sooner the born crimina! Will realize that
he cannot escape forever and the fewer per-
sons will enter The class OF proteSsiohal
crooks.
cooperating with Other Cities
''What has been achieved here in the de-
| lection Of crime has also been accomplished i'll
other largo cities, and 1t has been done by
| means Of cooperation OF the police and de-
tectivs forces in the various cities. Flight
| IA the first instinct OF the man who has COM
| mitted q crime and when he goes 10 another
| largo city, or when criminal from one OF
| them comes to Philadelphia after his oifensc,
| lie detective forces of the city to which he
| goes furnish the means for his capture.
which Could not be possessed by stranger
| in that city no matter how brilliant do
| tsctiye he might be. They know the resorts
OF the criminal classes of their own town
| and where to look for fugitives. We have
| the same knowledge US regards Philadelphia.
"When we receive request for the ap-
preheneion of q criminal who has fled from
| another city, we do our utmost to lind him
nud return him to the place where lie is
| wanted and VIC have captured and sent back
|
| with the detective forces OF the other big
cities very cordial and they do as much Tor
NC when VIC want any one who has lied to
tbcir jurisdiction. The result Is that it Is
noyv very difficult for criminal to escape
Jetection no matter where he goes. Hi:
notural inclination Is to go TO a big city
whero he will find friends of his own kline
>rbo will hide him and where there 10 the
safety Of numbers.
Little Haphazard Crime
'Irhere is little hGphazard crime now
p,on,nt detection and punishment have con
| hjnn"S tho criminal class that 1t Is not Saf,
90 .oEe any more chances than are absolutel,
,occsgary and nearly all the work they do Il
norefully planned and carried out with equa
care. sou.,o,,o, .uir,;,oI ana. or.
his work as carefully and perhaps more 81
~, many a workman In other and legti
nate lines. He Is taking chances and h
hmnws II, no matter how carefully he works
NJ the care with which he works makes i
%at much harder for US 90 find the man ant
Twain the evidence against him.
.In spIte of this. We have had considerable
.,,ocnss and | read the other day that ther
1Se about 400 persons now in the Jail await
;n, trial on criminal charges and that thor
,riil be more criminal courts added 10 TAX
care Of these cases.
, Every few serious crimes now remain un
| solved. II may take time to get TO tn
bottom Of some OF them, but In the end th